SALEM, Va. – Sunday’s Salem RidgeYaks baseball game was about more than just the sport. It was a celebration of community, resilience and one 12-year-old boy from Roanoke who has been fighting cystic fibrosis every single day.
Samuel Owen, a Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia alumnus, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Make-A-Wish Day, part of World Wish Month, stepping onto the mound in front of a full stadium cheering him on.
“It was a little scary, but after I threw it I was excited,” Samuel said.
A wish granted, a moment earned
Samuel’s wish to visit Walt Disney World was granted in 2023. On Sunday, Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia went a step further — placing Samuel and his family in a suite, giving him the honor of the first pitch and letting him keep the game ball, which was signed by the entire team.
His mother, Holly Carroll-Owen, said the moment was especially meaningful given the daily realities her son faces.
“Our son does two hours a day of treatment, we travel to a special care team — I mean, he has so much that he deals with every day in life,” Carroll-Owen said.
Community support fuels the mission
Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia President and CEO Rachael Schrinel said the partnership with the RidgeYaks was a powerful example of what community backing can do for seriously ill children.
“The RidgeYaks have been so kind to bless us with having us be their charity of choice for today’s game,” Schrinel said.
“We have over 6,000 wishes that we’ve granted across the greater Virginia area, and this opportunity to build on that community is so powerful and important — especially when our kids are facing some of the darkest days of their lives,” she added.
Fans who purchased tickets through the Make-A-Wish link contributed directly to that mission, with $7 from each ticket sale going back to Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia.
Carroll-Owen said the support means more than many people may realize.
“While yes, we are just one family in the community, there’s many of us here and a lot of children going through these complex diseases — that is all they do, from the time they wake up to the time they go to sleep. And caring for our community is just so important,” she said.
Samuel’s first pitch served as a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful moments happen not on the scoreboard, but in the stands — and on the mound.
Get involved
Schrinel said Sunday’s game is part of a larger effort to grow Make-A-Wish’s presence in Southwest Virginia — bringing in more support for wish-makers and helping more local kids like Samuel.
Those looking to learn more about Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia, find future events or volunteer can visit the Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia’s website here. To make a donation and help grant wishes for more kids like Samuel, visit the donation page here.