Sam, 11, lives for the smell of freshly cut grass and playing catch until the last rays of sun are gone. But neuroblastoma, a cancer affecting the nervous system, caused Sam to put his baseball career on hold.

Sam missed playing the sport he loved. But most of all, he missed his teammates. When the Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of the Mid-South asked Sam about his heartfelt wish, he realized that a having a baseball field in his backyard could bring him and his teammates back together – to reunite on his field anytime he wanted.

Building a baseball field is a pricey venture, so the Make-A-Wish crew spread the word about Sam’s field of dreams, asking for volunteer support and donations. First came the helping hands of grounds crews from the University of Mississippi and Itawamba Community College. Then came donations of sod, clay, fencing, a backstop, an irrigation system and even a scoreboard.

As opening day approached for Farris Field – named in honor of Sam’s surname – the tiny town of 1,100 people was buzzing. Sam invited 18 friends to play on his team, which he named the Mantachie Muddogs. All the teammates’ parents wanted to help make Sam’s day special, so they created a major-league atmosphere in Sam’s backyard with donated popcorn, soda and hot dogs.

A local radio personality couldn’t wait to volunteer as the opening day announcer. Other neighbors volunteered to sing the national anthem and umpire the game., Sam’s pastor was eager to dedicate the field, and Sam’s doctor even traveled two hours from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., to see her patient take the field.

Best of all was the Briarcrest Christian School junior varsity team, which also made the trip from Memphis to take the field against the Mud Dogs. For the Saints, the game against the Mud Dogs was special for many reasons. Former Briarcrest player Brandon Henson was an active supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation until he was killed in a tragic car accident in 2002. Brandon’s family sponsored Sam’s wish and arranged for the Briarcrest team to be Sam’s enthusiastic opponents.

On the big day, Sam suited up in a spotless new uniform. A donated limousine – with a volunteer highway patrol escort – delivered the star player to the center-field gate where both teams were lined up to welcome him. When Sam stepped onto his new wish field, the theme song from “Rocky” blared from the donated sound system.

The crowd of friends, relatives, media and literally half the community went wild as Sam threw the first pitch to the catcher – his brother Dennis. Farris Field truly had a sellout crowd of 370 for its opening day.

By the time the happy day was over, Sam had a base hit and scored a run. The Briarcrest team’s friendly antics ensured that Sam’s team earned a resounding 11-6 victory.

Sam and his family shared their gratitude in a media interview.

“We have told everybody in the community that this is their field too, and we hope to see a lot of people out here using it. Sam is just so excited about all of this, and nothing would make him feel better,” Sam’s mom, Teresa, told reporters.

Sam’s wish received the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America’s annual Infinite Wish Award, given each year to a chapter that involved an entire community in making a child’s wish come true.