"This is the best day of my life," said Anastasia "Ana" Susko of Jim Thorpe, who has a brain tumor. She made her statement on the pitching mound at the Christman field in Franklin Township as the annual Old-Timers game was about to start.

The Russell "Bups" Ahner Memorial Benefit Baseball Game pits the Franklin Township Old-Timers against the Jim Thorpe Old-Timers for a riotous game of slow-pitch softball that raises funds for a deserving person within the community.The score wasn't important; it's all about the person who is selected to receive the proceeds of the game.Ana's day in Franklin Township began with a ride to the field in a firetruck. She stepped out of the truck, energized and ready to greet her fans.From there she played the Chinese auction and then met the members of both teams.Wayne Wentz, spokesman for the Franklin Township team, said that over the past 30 years, the game has raised over $100,000.Ana was chosen as this year's recipient because of her illness.She is the daughter of Andrew and Akantha Susko. She has a brother, Ian, 12. Her mother said that Ana was diagnosed with the brain tumor in October 2013 when she was 7 years old. She turned 8 on Feb. 9. She is being treated at Lehigh Valley Pediatric Oncology.She will be a third-grade student at L.B. Morris Elementary School in the fall.Ana is fed a special diet that is designed to help her fight her battle."We try to live every day as best we can," Akantha Susko said. "Our goal is to be her support and enjoy every minute. The community support has been overwhelming. I didn't see it coming. It's been so hard for all of us, but we feel the love that pours from everyone."Ana is a typical little girl. She loves to play soccer and is athletic by nature. She loves to tell stories. She loves her Australian cattle dog mix, Ecko, and she loves to go to school.Akantha Susko said it was Ana's great athletic ability that helped her identify a problem with her daughter. She said she watched her go down some stairs at school and noticed she seemed unstable. That prompted her to take her to the emergency room, where an MRI found the tumor."We want her to live and not have stress," she said. "She has a lot of great girlfriends who visit often."While her mother knows that Ana's illness is serious, her philosophy is that fear is useless. She said, "Stress keeps you from living today. You can't be afraid of tomorrow."As part of Ana's day, she was presented checks from Wentz, representing the proceeds from the Chinese auction, food sale and donations gathered by the Franklin Township Old-Timers, and from Jim Zurn, representing the donors to the Jim Thorpe Old-Timers.Jim Thorpe Old-Timer contributors were Jim Thorpe Neighborhood Bank; Jim Thorpe Area Sports Hall of Fame; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Getz; Jim Thorpe Rotary Club; Jim Thorpe Lions; Redline Flooring; C&S Railroad; Ted, Jordan and Lorie Larizzio; Dave and Dawn Zurn; Jeff Scott; Mr. Connel's fourth-grade class; Leo and Jane O'Donnell; John McGinley; John Searfoss; and Jim Zurn.Mary Strohl, Lori Zerby and Pam Storm organized the Chinese auction.One player on the Franklin Township Old-Timers, Donald Bloom, who is 85 years old, has never missed a game.The Jim Thorpe Old-Timers scored 24 runs, while the Franklin Township Old-Timers scored 17 runsAna was also a recipient of a dream from Dream Come True - Blue Ridge Chapter.