Adaptive football event kicks off Pine-based nonprofit’s programming; splash pad outing set Aug. 19

The ideal theme for a kickoff event would seem to be football.

And so passing, receiving and celebrating in the end zone all were part of a community gridiron skills clinic to help launch the Michael Mackie Project, a nonprofit formed to provide inclusive and adaptive experiences for children who have disabilities.

For the first event of the project’s sports-oriented MVP: Michael’s Victory Players program, youngsters of all abilities gathered July 19 on the turf fields at Pine Community Park for what turned out to be a fun time for everyone involved.

“I think it’s a great way for the community to give back and help some kids get out and do activities that they normally wouldn’t do,” said Kraig Urbik, who serves on the Michael Mackie Project board. “It was a blast.”

Urbik, a Pine resident who played professionally as an offensive lineman for nine years, is a coach for Pine-Richland United Youth Football and Cheer. Through that organization, he met Audrey Mackie, the founder and president of the nonprofit named for her 5-year-old son.

Michael has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy, and is autistic.

“His two older brothers play youth football,” his mother said about sons Patrick, 10, and William, 7. “He was always a fan at all those sports events, and we were saying how it would be great if there were something for kids like Michael to participate in. So we spoke with the youth organization and partnered with them to bring this adaptive football day.”

Assisting in the activities were youth football and cheer participants, along with members of the Pine-Richland High School football and cheerleading teams.

“We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback from our participants,” said Audrey Mackie, who serves as vice chair on Pine’s board of supervisors. “Parents were saying how excited they were to have the opportunity for their kids to come out and play. They appreciated the buddies who were here participating from the youth and high school organizations. It was just a really great moment of community kindness and inclusion.”

Her nonprofit plans to conduct further adaptive programming focusing on the likes of art, music and social gatherings, with Pine Community Park serving as the home base.

“We have a great park system that is very adaptable and friendly. It’s handicap-accessible,” she said. “So the sky’s the limit for us.”

Another Michael Mackie Project board member is Megan Shinaberry of Dormont, a licensed psychologist who works with neurodiverse children and teens, those whose brains develop or work differently for various reasons.

“I have the opportunity to not only support them professionally but now provide some outreach to the community through this,” Shinaberry said. “You can do a lot through your professional, day-to-day career, but the ability to reach families on a different scale in the community is really powerful and can make such an impact that you don’t see necessarily when you’re behind your desk.”

Regarding the adaptive football event, she gave “a lot of credit to the teams that came out and supported it. (There’s) a lot of maturity in those youths who are looking to reach out and do more.”

Sarah Armstrong of Pine serves as board secretary for the Michael Mackie Project.

“I have a really tight-knit relationship with the Mackies. We’ve been neighbors for about 10 years, and we’ve seen the kids grow up,” she said. “We watched everything with Michael and his early challenges.”

When his mother mentioned her idea for the nonprofit, Armstrong was eager to get on board.

“Of course, we have all the faith in Audrey. She is just extremely motivated, and she’s such a good person. So I thought, boy, if somebody who has so much on her plate can make this work, we are behind her full steam,” Armstrong said.

“It’s an incredibly rewarding feeling to be a part of it, and I’m sure, in the future, it’s only going to get better.”

A sensory night at the Pine Community Park Splash Pad is planned from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 19. The evening will offer a calmer, quieter splash pad session with reduced numbers and a relaxed environment. Sensory-sensitive children of all ages are welcome to join in the fun. Parents and support persons are welcome and do not need to register.

To register your child for the splash pad outing and for details about the project, visit themichaelmackieproject.org.