FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 23. 2024
Aidan’s Lights - Community Information Session Wednesday, February 28, 2024
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Central Little League (CLL) and the family and friends of Aidan Peters will be conducting a Community Information Session Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 7PM at Charlottesville Circuit Courthouse Main Courtroom (315 East High Street) as part of a request for approval from the City to install lights at the upper baseball field at Pen Park.
The plan does not require the use of any City funds, but rather relies on funds raised through grants and donations.
To give an idea why this is such a worthwhile project, here are the words from Aidan's parents:
Aidan's love of baseball started early. Having a father who not only grew up in Chicago but is also a lifelong Cubs fan, as well as a player himself, Aidan gravitated to baseball naturally. He played for Central Little League from when he was 5 years old until he aged out. If he had been able to, he probably would have stayed longer! In fact, he even umpired some games because he loved being on that field so much and he enjoyed helping kids learn the game just as he had.
Aidan started out as a catcher, but quickly showed an aptitude for pitching, so he played both positions for a couple of years. Ultimately, pitching fired him up more and he focused his energy on that. While on the mound at Pen Park, Aidan learned how to throw a curve ball, a fast ball, and a slider. He also learned teamwork, friendship, and leadership. There's a reason folks talk about the “baseball family.” Aidan made lifelong friends in Central Little League.
In 2021, while conditioning for the baseball season of his sophomore year at Charlottesville High School, Aidan developed a pain in his hip that his doctor thought was a strain from his new exercise routine. But after months of physical therapy, medications, and scans, we learned at the start of his junior year that Aidan had metastatic Ewing Sarcoma. After lots of chemo and radiation, and missing his Junior year baseball season, we hoped Aidan's cancer was gone for good. But just two months later Aidan's cancer came back. When he heard the news, the first thing Aidan said was, “but I wanted to play baseball this year.” So he juggled trips to Duke for a drug trial with his game schedule and was able to play his senior year season of baseball for CHS in the spring of 2023. Aidan lost his battle with cancer on August 1, 2023, less than 8 weeks after graduating from CHS.
Aidan never forgot his baseball roots at Central Little League. He loved to go out to the field in the off season and throw pitches with his dad. He enjoyed helping take care of the field by mowing, weeding, and cleaning it up for the next game. Aidan felt at home at Pen Park.
Improving the baseball fields by adding lights would allow more kids to learn to love baseball as much as Aidan did.
-Becca & Adam Peters
Community members and baseball fans are encouraged to attend the meeting on February 28th to learn more about the project and find out ways to help.
Media Contact:
Llezelle Dugger
llezelle.dugger@gmail.com
434-409-1063