ACCEL

The Arizona Centers for Comprehensive Education and Life-Skills held its annual Diamondback Day (D-Backs Day); a truly special sporting event for special kids. The two-day event took place on March 11 and 12, at ACCEL’s Grand SLAM (Student Learning and Mobility) Center at its Metro Campus, in Phoenix. The annual event honors the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation, the first major funder of the Metro Campus Outdoor Learning Environments. The event involved students from all ACCEL campuses and guests from Gompers.

In 2004, the Arizona Diamondback Foundation awarded ACCEL seed money in the amount of $100,000 to create an innovative outdoor learning environment known as the Grand SLAM Center. To honor the Diamondbacks, ACCEL instituted “D-Back Day,” an invitational sporting event, designed to provide an “Olympic Experience” for students with developmental challenges from across Maricopa County. This annual event provides adapted games, appropriate competitive challenges, an awards ceremony and luncheon.

D-back Day is certainly one of the most exciting events held at ACCEL, and one of the most rewarding to attend. Over 300 people attended, including students, staff, and special guests. Arizona Baseball