Avalina Mason, 4, holds a bat in the West Michigan Whitecaps dugout during the Stand Up To Cancer game. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Eli Jackson, 6, stands in the dugout with the Whitecaps players. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Will Colthorp, 9, helps Whitecaps announcer Michael Newell during the game. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Lily Loding, 5, skips onto the field before the baseball game starts. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Emma Joyce, 7, left, Brenym Pell, 7, and Cadia Wiseman, 10, wait on the sidelines for the game to start during the Stand Up To Cancer game. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Will Colthorp, 9, listens to his instructions before the game begins. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Brenym Pell, 7, runs out on the field for the national anthem before the game begins. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Avalina Mason, 4, left, and Lily Loding, 5, giggle together before the game. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Child Life specialist Rhys VanDemark hugs 17-year-old Desani Jackson. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Emma Joyce, 7, smiles at Child Life specialist Rhys VanDemark. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Eli Jackson, 6, shoots a T-shirt cannon during the baseball game. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Pediatric cancer patients stand on the sidelines of the Whitecaps baseball field before the game begins. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
The kids run off the field after singing the national anthem with the West Michigan Whitecaps players. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Cadia Wiseman, 10, hangs out on the sidelines before the game starts. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Avalina Mason, 4, sits on the sidelines. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Kids line up with West Michigan Whitecaps players during the national anthem. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Spectrum Health Child Life specialist, Ashley Kirvin, left, Spectrum Health teacher and education liaison, Sarah Smith, and Child Life specialist, Rhys VanDemark, tap on the press box window to wave to patients. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Connor Guiles, 7, signs his baseball cards for fans. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Katie Colthrop, 11, walks off the baseball field. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Avalina Mason, 4, adjusts her baseball hat in the Whitecaps dugout. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Cadia Wiseman, 10, smiles as she signs her baseball cards for fans. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Eli Jackson, 6, smiles for a photo in the Whitecaps dugout. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Connor Guiles, 7, laughs as he helps with playing music during the game. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Desani Jackson, 17, laughs with Child Life staff between doing radio spots for the Whitecaps game. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Julia Cherry, 11, signs baseball cards for fans. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Ben Klooster, 5, ran out of his baseball cards and signs people's hands instead. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Seventeen patients geared up and ‘worked’ a job for the night. Jobs included manager, bat girl and bat boy, social media, coach, PA announcer and scoreboard operator.
Each patient had his or her own deck of baseball player cards with accompanying picture and stats listed. Fans lined up to get signed cards by the kids during the third and seventh innings.
“This night is so special for families and staff,” said Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Child Life specialist Katrena Froh. “It’s great seeing the kids outside of the hospital just being kids.”
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