A fundraiser for a Franklin Township youth battling an aggressive type of cancer is underway.

The Franklin Township Athletic Association started the fundraiser for Colson Tkach, a 4-year-old Franklin Township baseball player battling Ependymoma Cancer.

Colson’s disease is an aggressive type of cancer that causes tumors to grow on both his brain and his spine.

The Franklin Township Athletic Association posted on its Facebook page that “despite his diagnosis, Colson continues to smile!

“His parents and older brother are committed to his care while still allowing him to live a normal childhood as much as possible,” the post states. “He is an extremely sweet little boy who doesn’t deserve the many challenges this diagnosis brings.”

The Franklin Township Athletic Association said a raffle ticket may be purchased Saturday at either of the Franklin Township food stands in an effort to support both Colson and his family during these trying times.

The ticket comes with a chance to win one of five Philadelphia Phillies jerseys. The winners will be drawn on June 1.

“May our Franklin Township family rally around this precious young athlete and his family in both donations and prayers,” the post states. “Keep fighting Colson, you are one very brave little boy!”

Nick Storm, vice president of the Franklin Township Little League, said Colson’s “a truly inspirational little guy.

“Getting diagnosed at 1 1/2 years old, at that point he doesn’t know anything really,” Storm said. “So all’s he known as he’s grown is being sick, going for treatments, living that life.”

Storm added, “I think that’s one of the most important parts about youth sports is it’s maybe a release or an escape from everyday life. You would never know interacting him with him that there’s anything wrong.

“He’s the happiest kid on the field, one of the most supportive kids to his teammates. There’s lot of adults in the world that could learn a lot from him just on perspective on how bad things really are and fighting through adversity.”

Storm said they were able to bring things together in about two days, and noted one of the assistant coaches on his team, Jared Ahner, who has been coaching both Colson and his older brother Carter, got to talking about Colson after practice and Jared mentioned he wasn’t sure if he was going to come out.

He added that when he proposed it, he had the full support of all the board members, including Ron Steigerwalt, president, FTAA; Mike Birnbaum, vice president, FTAA; and Mike Snyder, president, Franklin Township Little League.

He said another assistant, Ray Cuyler, who has Ray Rays Sports Jerseys in Lehighton, said he could donate five Philadelphia Phillies jerseys for a raffle.

Storm said posters were then printed out, and they had everything all ready to go for opening day last month.

“I had wanted to do something for him (Colson) last year, but couldn’t figure out what to do or how to come together,” Storm said. “It was something that I wanted to do for a couple of years but didn’t have the right people involved, and when everybody came together it clicked and we had it ready to go in no time.”

Storm noted they will be selling tickets through the rest of this month.

“That kid really deserves the full community support,” he said. “I’ve known both of his parents, Simon and Kelsey, Jared and I both went to school with both of his parents; you never want to hear about kids being sick, but it really hits home when it’s people you know.”

Storm said that Colson’s brother, Carter, will play at the Minors Level at 5 p.m. Saturday at Phifer’s Field, and Colson will be the bat boy.

“Everybody can come out and support the (Franklin Township) Athletic Association and Colson,” he said. “Get their ticket, get their food an enjoy a baseball game.”