PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies officially launched Major League Baseball’s 2026 All-Star Week celebrations by welcoming five Make-A-Wish recipients and their families to Citizens Bank Park on Friday, creating an unforgettable start to a weekend filled with baseball, inspiration and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Hosted through MLB’s long-running partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Phillies Charities Inc., the charitable arm of the Phillies organization, the special welcome event took place in the Diamond Club, where the children and their families gathered for a celebratory dinner before receiving personalized gifts designed to commemorate the occasion.
Each recipient received a customized All-Star jersey featuring the logo of their favorite MLB team on the front and their own last name on the back. They also took home specially engraved red-and-white Marucci baseball bats bearing their names, along with bags filled with exclusive All-Star memorabilia.
The five honorees—Aidan Munoz, Brandon Aguilar, Braxton Hamm, Jason Lebron and Maxim Harris—will enjoy an action-packed All-Star Week itinerary that extends far beyond Friday’s celebration. Their schedule includes attending the MLB Draft, the All-Star Futures Game and the interactive MLBx fan festival. They will also take part in a shopping spree at Mitchell & Ness through Fanatics and receive the opportunity to step onto the field before Monday night’s Home Run Derby, where they are expected to meet several of baseball’s biggest stars.
MLB Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility April Brown said the annual initiative highlights the league’s commitment to creating meaningful experiences for children facing serious health challenges.
Brown explained that one of the most rewarding aspects of the program is watching the children build friendships with one another while enjoying baseball without having to think about their medical struggles. She noted that seeing them laugh together, attend games and simply have fun makes the partnership especially meaningful for everyone involved.
The collaboration between Phillies Charities and the Make-A-Wish Foundation has now spanned 25 years, providing hundreds of families with unforgettable memories through baseball.
Bonnie Clark, the Phillies’ Vice President of Communications and Community Initiatives, said Philadelphia offers unique experiences that, when combined with MLB’s All-Star festivities, create memories that will last a lifetime. She emphasized that the organization hopes every family leaves Citizens Bank Park feeling they have shared something truly extraordinary.
MLB Director of Community Affairs Kevin Moss echoed that sentiment, describing the program as an opportunity to give children and their families a temporary escape from the daily realities of serious illness.
Moss noted that many of the children have endured lengthy medical treatments and difficult health battles alongside their families. For a few days, however, baseball allows them to focus on joy instead of hospitals, while creating opportunities to meet their favorite players and simply enjoy being together.
Among this year’s participants is 14-year-old Maxim Harris of New York, whose story has become one of perseverance and creativity.
A lifelong baseball player who first picked up the sport at age five, Harris was forced to stop playing after doctors advised that his cancer treatments made it unsafe for him to continue competing. Rather than allowing that setback to define him, he transformed his passion for gaming into a successful entrepreneurial venture.
During chemotherapy, Harris realized that striking hard objects when frustrated while playing video games often left him badly bruised because of his treatments. To solve the problem, he designed a cushioned product called RagePADs, allowing gamers to vent frustration safely without injuring themselves.
His father, Scott Harris, explained that the invention became far more than a gaming accessory. It provided Maxim with a meaningful project during the many days he spent at home away from school and sports, giving him purpose while undergoing treatment.
The business has flourished well beyond their expectations. Maxim now spends much of his free time refining the product, packaging orders and shipping them personally. To date, he has sold more than 1,000 RagePADs to customers across 44 U.S. states and nine countries.
A devoted Boston Red Sox fan because of his family’s ties to Boston, Harris also received an unforgettable surprise before All-Star Week. Hall of Famer David Ortiz sent him a personal video message inviting him to meet during the festivities. Harris plans to present Ortiz with a custom-made RagePAD featuring the legendary slugger.
Although meeting Ortiz ranks among the highlights of his trip, Harris said attending Monday’s Home Run Derby is another lifelong dream becoming reality. Instead of watching the event from home with friends as he usually does, he will experience the excitement live inside the stadium.
The personalized Marucci bat presented to Harris on Friday is expected to become another treasured addition to his growing collection of baseball memorabilia, which already includes signed baseballs from Red Sox Spring Training visits, trophies from his playing career and posters of his favorite superheroes.
As All-Star Week officially gets underway, the Phillies and Major League Baseball hope the experiences shared by Harris and the other Make-A-Wish recipients will provide lasting memories that extend far beyond the baseball field, celebrating courage, resilience and the enduring power of the game.
Leave a Reply