Meet Jimmy Fund Little League Designated Hitter, Zach

Zach is an energetic four-year-old who has a passion for life, and for playing baseball. In May of 2016, Zach was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and is currently being treated at Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic.

Due to his cancer treatment, Zach is taking time off from playing baseball this season. He still loves watching and rooting on his Jimmy Fund Little League teammates as the program’s Designated Hitter.

For a lot of children, the Jimmy Fund Little League program is a fun way to keep playing the sport they love; for Zach, it is much more. As the Designated Hitter and patient partner for the program, Zach represents the face of Jimmy Fund Little League and stands up “to bat” for the Jimmy Fund.

“Although we wish we never had to enter through the doors of the Jimmy Fund Clinic, it has been an amazing place. Everybody at Dana-Farber has made us feel at ease throughout Zach’s treatment. We are so grateful that Zach is able to be this year’s Designated Hitter – it’s our way of giving back,” says Erica, Zach’s mother.

Zach will be the program’s 32nd Designated Hitter since the program began in 1987. Massachusetts Little League District Administrator George Berardi and former Boston Red Sox players Rico Petrocelli and Mike Andrews started the program 32 seasons ago. Since then, the program has raised nearly $5 million in cumulative giving to support Dana-Farber’s and the Jimmy Fund’s mission to strike out cancer.

Learn more about how to get involved in Jimmy Fund Little League presented by Extra Innings and Franklin Sports.

Chloe Svolos
Social Media Coordinator, Online Marketing