Take a Break: Team Evan Knocks One Out of the Park

At just 12 years old, Evan Kimmerer of Guilderland has already achieved the kinds of things most baseball players only dream of.

In just the past year, he threw a no hitter and hit a walk-off homerun.

There wasn't much that could keep Evan off the field.

That is until life threw him one nasty curveball.

"I felt like I had gotten hit, punched in the stomach."

Evan's mom, Cindy, says over the summer evan started slowing down.  He was getting tired quickly and was experiencing bouts of nausea and painful headaches.

"After a week," she recalls, "I took him to the pediatrician and they said they thought it was the stomach virus."

On September 20th, Evan was in such rough shape, his family brought him to the emergency room where an m-r-i revealed something much worse than a stomach bug.

Evan had a brain tumor.

"That was a long night in the hospital," Cindy says. "Him and I just sat and we talked and cried. It was not a fun night."

The next day Evan had surgery to remove the cancerous growth. Surgeons are calling it a success.  But now, the young ballplayer is facing an aggressive lineup of radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

"I still feel like I'm in a dream everyday," Cindy says, "and we still have a long ways to go."

The Kimmerer family won't have to make the journey alone though. Since first hearing about Evan's situation, friends and even complete strangers have stepped up to the plate, organizing fund raisers, donating money and time, and doing whatever they can to help out.

"The community has been amazing."

You could say "Team Evan" has come on in relief. They don't want Evans' mom or dad to worry about anything besides taking care of their little slugger.

"You just cant put into words," she says, "how grateful you are for everything everybody has done."

They haven't talked with doctors yet about a long range prognosis but Evan's plans are unchanged.

When asked if he still plans to play for his favorite team, the Yankees, someday, he smiles and says, "I hope so."

Like any good ballplayer, Evan knows it takes a team to win a ballgame.

And his team plans to leave it all on the field.

''EV-FEST'', a big event that's being put together by TEAM EVANis happening at Keenholts Park in Guilderland Center from 6 TO 10PM.

They're going to have food, music, a silent auction and raffles and baseball too. They're hosting a home run derby.

Not to mention, Evan and his teammates will be shaving their heads in a show of unity as he prepares to begin radiation and chemo treatments.

So stop by if you can and help KNOCK ONE OUT OF THE PARK for Evan Kimmerer.