WISE - - Boston-headquartered national nonprofit Team IMPACT, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing serious and chronic illness through the power of team, along with the UVA Wise baseball program, held a special Draft Day celebration for Cooper Carlson on Friday, October 28 inside the UVA Wise Student Center.

A Wise Primary School student, Carlson was diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor (Stage 4) in October of 2021. Wilms Tumor is a rare childhood cancer found in the kidneys. After successfully completing 14 rounds of chemotherapy, 15 days of radiation and having his right kidney and a portion of his liver removed at St. Jude's Children's Hospital, Carlson is cancer free as of October 19 of this year.

"Cooper is the type of player and person every coach wants in their program," stated UVA Wise Head Baseball Coach Brandon Costa. "During his first practice with the team it was obvious that Coop was a ballplayer; he hustled on every play and was not afraid to slide in hard to a base and get dirty."

A switch-hitting utility player, the 3-foot-8, 52-pound Carlson is also a swift baserunner who will participate with the Cavalier program during practices and games throughout the year.

To this point, Carlson has provided a boost to the clubhouse through his joke-telling and hide-and-seek skills. The recent signee has also spent time on the mound where he recently struck out his favorite Cavalier, Cole Harness, after initially backing him off the plate with an inside fastball.

"In our program, we not only recruit great players but also great people and great teammates," stated Costa. "Cooper fits that to a T."

Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit headquartered in Boston, Mass. that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes. Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched nearly 1,600 children with more than 500 colleges and universities in 48 states, reaching over 50,000 participating student-athletes.

Team IMPACT has more than 1,000 teams waiting to be matched with children, ages 5-16, who have been diagnosed with a serious or chronic illness and who could benefit from becoming a member of the team. If you know a child who may be interested, visit www.goteamimpact.org for more information.