On Sunday afternoon, guest of honor Peter "Keegan" Wyshosky arrived to thePhifer Ice Dam Parkwith all the bells, whistles and firetruck sirens the Franklin Township Company could provide.

Even under the dark sky and downpour, both teams laced up their cleats for the annual Russell "Bups" Ahner Memorial Old-Timers Softball Game to give Wyshosky an afternoon where he could "just be a kid.""I'm just excited to play, it's one of my favorite sports," Wyshosky said.The 10-year-old Lehighton student threw out the first pitch for the game, a skill he had to relearn after two years of hospital trips, tests and operations."He had to be retrained how to walk and throw a ball," said his mother, Shalmar Mantz. "All of his gross motor skills were gone after the surgery. He's currently stable, but still suffers from chronic illnesses. Every day is a struggle."In March 2013 Wyshosky began getting lots of headaches and eventually suffered a blackout in August. That's when Mantz knew he needed to see a doctor.In September, Lehigh Valley Hospital's pediatric neurologist, Dr. Elizabeth Corbo, scheduled an MRI for the 8-year-old.The results of the test led to the cerebellum brain tumor diagnosis. A nine-hour surgery followed the next week along with a lengthy recovery process.In the post-surgery days Wyshosky faced bouts of depression and anxiety, but earned a reputation for his ability to work hard to bounce back and was independent of his wheelchair within five months.Despite his strong recovery, Wyshosky continues to face challenges to his balance and eyesight through out the process.The funds raised from the annual game will be used for Wyshosky's sensory camp over the summer and help to curb the edge of mounting medical expenses."I think this is wonderful. It helps with the costs that really add up," Mantz said."We are thankful for this benefit. It'll help raise awareness for brain tumors," she said.Ron Steigerwalt, president of the Franklin Township Athletic Association said it was important to show up for the game even with the soggy weather."We wanted to make a fun day out of it for him," he said."We always try to help people out in the community, we've been doing this for 30-something years," Steigerwalt said.The game brings in an estimated $2,000 each year from the association's donation, a Chinese auction and bake sale and Jim Thorpe old-timers donation gathered from the Jim Thorpe National Bank and anonymous patrons."It takes a lot of volunteers. All the teams put together baskets and everyone works together," said Sherri Steigerwalt, the association's auxiliary president.Children are selected as beneficiaries for the fundraiser by consulting with the area's school nurses."We help the community, we have 400 kids in our league so it's all about the kids really," she said.Before Wyshosky took the mound to kick off the game, the athletic association called Karen Alboucq and son Sean to the field to present the family of Stewart A. Alboucq, with an honorary star at the field. Alboucq volunteered his time with the Lehighton Area Pool Pals and coached for the Franklin Township Little League and the Lehighton Area Booster Club Navy football team before his passing in October."It's such an honor," Karen said."He lived Franklin Township, it was in his soul. He gave a lot of good years to this community," she said.Alboucq was son Sean's first coach, said the young Alboucq."After the games we always went to our Nana's for ice cream and pizza," Sean said."That was his way of uniting the kids and making memories," Karen said.