Finalist Colton Wilson made his wish to renovate his school's baseball field
All too often, athletes use sports as a way to see what they can get.
As an athlete, Colton Wilson's desire was to give back.
Wilson, a 17-year-old junior at South Whidbey High School, was diagnosed in June of 2006 with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare disease in which cancer cells are found in bone or soft tissue. In February of last year, he was granted a wish by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which seeks to grant special requests to children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Some kids want to go to Disneyland or to meet a famous sports hero. But Wilson's wish was one that would benefit not only himself, but also his current South Whidbey teammates and those who will follow in the school's baseball program through the coming years.
With the selflessness of a genuine team player, Wilson asked for a renovation of his high school baseball field.
Others joined in the fund-raising effort. Before one game last season, an envelope with more than $400 in checks from parents of Cedarcrest High School players was presented to Wilson and South Whidbey baseball coach Dave Guetlin.
That effort began last year, and last June the newly-renovated field was dedicated with a ceremony that included a "first pitch" by Wilson, and a two-inning game between South Whidbey players and staff.
South Whidbey will begin play on its new field this season.
As Guetlin said in a speech that day, Wilson's gift "isn't about baseball. He's given us all a way that we should live our lives ... He's given us all a chance to make memories and have dreams."
After treatment Wilson is cancer-free today, but he needed follow-up surgery in February on an earlier bone graft, delaying his return to baseball.
