Children with disabilities are taking to the baseball field with the help of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The St. John’s Challenger Baseball team gathered at Wishingwell Park on Saturday for an hour of pitching, batting, and running the bases.

The Challenger Baseball program is funded by the Jays Care Foundation and takes place across Canada.

Provincial coordinator Colin Rose says the foundation, funded by the Blue Jays, provides their local team with all equipment needed to provide a free baseball program for kids living with physical and mental disabilities.

Rose says the program not only provides kids the chance to get active. He says the program allows children with disabilities to improve on skills such as independence and confidence.

He says many children are nervous when they first join the program but as the season progresses, they develop a knowledge of the game that allows them to do more things on their own.