TYLER (TYLER MORNING TELEGRAPH) - Tyler little leaguer Collin Boyd will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch Friday at the Texas Rangers game.
Boyd, who turned 9 on June 9, was nominated for the honors by Carter BloodCare.
He was diagnosed last spring with undifferentiated soft tissue sarcoma and recently finished 25 treatments of radiation and his fourth round of chemotherapy. Tests scheduled for Tuesday will confirm whether his tumor can be removed.
Boyd recently finished the third grade at Owens Elementary School and is the son of Kalisha and Jimmy Boyd. He has been playing baseball since he was 4 and his favorite player is Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton.
He was able to meet the slugger at a game on May 15. "This little guy, Collin, came to see me at BP (batting practice) today," Hamilton tweeted. "Join me in praying for him. He has a battle to fight."
Collin Boyd hopes he will get to see Hamilton again Friday, Jimmy Boyd said.
"He's very excited," about throwing the first pitch, his dad said. "He's been practicing every day."
Jimmy Boyd said there are 87 people – mostly friends and family from Tyler – who are meeting at Lanes Chapel United Methodist Church Friday afternoon and chartering a bus to the stadium in Arlington, where the Texas Rangers will face off with the Minnesota Twins after Boyd throws the first pitch at 7:05 p.m.
Friday is Carter BloodCare night at the Texas Rangers ballpark.
Carter BloodCare's volunteer donors provide lifesaving blood for patients at more than 200 health care facilities in 58 counties in North, Central and East Texas. It is the largest not-for-profit community blood center in Texas.
Carter BloodCare will be holding a blood drive from 4 to 8 p.m. outside the stadium at the Home Plate entrance and Boyd will get to meet five of the Texas Rangers players, Jimmy Boyd said, adding that his son hopes one of those will be Hamilton.
On May 12, about 270 Rose Capital West Little Leaguers played baseball in an all-day tournament to help raise money for the Boyd family in their fight against cancer.
"It makes me feel really good that all these people care about me" Collin Boyd said during the tournament attended by hundreds of people. "They want to help me get better."
Collin Boyd participates in the Rose Capital West Little League, playing for the Blue Jays team and also playing select baseball with the Tyler Diamond Jaxx.
"We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Tyler community for embracing and supporting our family during this difficult time in our lives," the Boyd family wrote in a letter to the Tyler Morning Telegraph following the fundraising tournament. "From the moment our son Collin was diagnosed with cancer this spring, we have received an outpouring of prayers, thoughts, phone calls, gifts and donations from so many people in the community.
"Your words and actions have provided comfort for us as we deal with Collin's battle against cancer. We feel very blessed to live in a community where not only family and friends but also complete strangers have rallied around us and shown so much love and concern for Collin."
Collin Boyd, left, and Josh Hamilton, right
