CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – August 1 will be two years since Charlottesville High School pitcher and graduate Aidan Peters lost his battle with cancer, and fundraising in earnest is happening now for his last wish: lights at Pen Park for the Central Little League.

Aidan battled Ewings sarcoma for two years before passing in 2023, just eight weeks after his high school graduation. His parents, Becca and Adam Peters, told WINA Morning News he knew a desperate need for lights in a little league with some 600 participants, so he made it his final wish that funds be raised in his memory for lights, which is now a campaign called “Aidan’s Lights”.

“As Aidan’s last days were coming, you know when you have the program for the service in lieu of flowers? This is what we did, in lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to Aidan’s Lights, because baseball was such a big part of Aidan’s life,” said Becca Peters.

Central Little League President Alan Dalkin said one of the highlights of the lights is kids think it’s cool to play at night, under the lights. But, he said, “Besides the cool factor, and all of the other wonderful things it engenders for kids in being able to participate at night, it’s a safety thing. We could also play games later without having to worry about darkness.”

In addition, Dalkin said, “We can start the league a little bit earlier in the year before the time change and can play later, and we have teams in the fall.”

Adam Peters said he’d looked into lights at Pen Park when Aidan was about 10 years old, and it was about $40,000 “more or less”.

“These days, just like everything else it’s much more expensive,” Peters said.

Adam Peters and Dalkin said the design they’ve settled on has about a $170,000 price tag.

Peters said about his son, “He was always thinking about other people. He would teach his teammates and I remember him teaching one about how to properly throw a curveball.”

“He loved the game, he really loved the game,” Becca Peters said about Aidan.

Click here for all the information and how to donate.