It all started like a normal night with a baseball practice under the lights at the Queen Creek (Ariz.) Little League fields. While the kids were out practicing, Mandy Mulligan watched daughter, Olivia, play at a park nearby while her son, Elijah, got his work in on the baseball diamond.
“We had a late practice and there aren’t a lot of kids at the park with those late practices, so she was just playing at the playground by herself, pretty content to just be alone, when three older boys – Vinny, James, and Zander – walked over,” said Mulligan. “They kind of gathered in a little circle of three, and my first gut reaction was to check on her and make sure she was okay”, but Olivia just walked up to them and inserted herself in their little circle and she just put her hands up.”
Olivia, who is diagnosed with Down Syndrome, was enjoying her time at the park by herself, but in just a few moments, an act of kindness would leave a memory she, or her mother, would never forget.
The two Little Leaguers® closest to Olivia immediately grabbed her hand, and at her request, the other boy joined in, creating a circle and kicking off the first of many “Ring Around the Rosies.”
“I was so glad that I let it happen, because what if I had stopped it and didn’t give her the chance to make this connection?” said Mulligan. “Every time they’d fall, they would clap, give her a high five, and all jump back up to do it again. It was so beautiful to see.”
After 15 minutes of laughter and cheers, the boys’ coach joined his three Little Leaguers and Olivia at the park. While they thought he was there to grab them for practice, he was instead there to introduce himself and watch the boys and Olivia play. Watching the moment unfold, Mulligan knew it was one that she could not pass up on sharing.
“Inclusion, accommodation, and all things surrounding Down Syndrome are all so important to me. So, I reached out to the local news and said, ‘Hey, I think this is a really good story.’ I wanted these boys to have a spotlight shown on them,” said Mulligan. “After the local outlet ran the story, it was picked up nationally by World News Tonight on ABC. This thing has just snowballed, and the public response has been mind-blowingly incredible. It is so awesome to see how many people are inspired or touched by it, praising the boys, who are the stars of this story.”
Not only have the three boys and Olivia been spotlighted by the media, but the Mayor and Town Council of Queen Creek recognized them with certificates for their act of kindness, and Olivia got to show off her strong throwing arm when she was asked to throw the first pitch at Queen Creek LL’s Opening Ceremony.
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“It was a great opening ceremony. They had cheerleaders from the high school there, and Olivia got to interact with them and play with their pom poms,” said Mulligan. “I was nervous about how she would do in front of everybody surrounding her, but Olivia threw that ball, and it went right to the three boys behind the plate. She lifted her arms and jumped up and down, cheering for herself. The crowd went wild. She wanted to do it again, and she did. It was a great moment.”
As recognition continues and the spotlight grows brighter, Mulligan is grateful not only for the opportunity to tell the story and teach people about the importance of inclusion, but also for the community that her family is now a part of after not originally knowing anyone in December of 2023 when they moved to the area.
“Everybody says hello to us or high fives Olivia as they pass by. She thinks she is the star of the show all the time now,” said Mulligan. “The biggest change was the feeling in the community. The fact that the story had thousands of comments, all positive, just made me feel so welcome and at home here. It made us feel so connected to a community that we were so new to.”
Since that day, Olivia and the three boys have stayed connected. Their playground time has moved on from Ring Around the Rosie and now includes scooter lessons and blowing bubbles. Reflecting on the first act of kindness and all the ones that have followed between these new, lifelong friends, Mulligan hopes people continue to hear their story and take away this lesson.
“Taking a moment to connect with someone else, regardless of ability, and making them feel important, seen, and special, matters. It matters how you treat somebody else,” said Mulligan. “When this whole thing happened, I thought it was a moment for them that they probably would not have gone home and told their parents about, or maybe forget. Just a fun time on the playground. For me, it was everything. If you can connect with someone, even a little bit, and share a thoughtful moment or story with them, it can mean the world. Inclusion and kindness matter. Inclusion means so much. It means she belongs; it means she’s loved; it means she’s welcome.”
To learn more about the Little League® program and the five values that help make up the organization’s identity, visit LittleLeague.org/WhoWeAre. To learn more about becoming a Little League volunteer and help make a difference in communities like this, check out LittleLeague.org/Volunteer.