Number of Participants: 12
Hours Donated: 6
Value of Time Served: $608
Event Type: Health & Medicine
Activity: Softball
School: Sweet Home Senior High School
Date: June 4, 2025
Location:
Sweet Home High School
Sweet Home Road, Buffalo
NY
About:
The Western New York softball community recently came together in an inspiring show of unity and compassion in support of Ava Fraser, a junior varsity player from Niagara Wheatfield who is courageously battling thyroid cancer.
When Crystal Carlson, coach of the Sweet Home softball team, learned of Ava’s diagnosis, the news hit close to home. Several of her players had shared the field with Ava on travel teams, and many others knew her through the broader fast pitch softball circle. Without hesitation, the Sweet Home players and families rallied around the idea of doing something meaningful to show Ava and her family that they were not alone in this fight.
Thanks to the generosity and quick coordination of Coach Ashley Bonetto and her team, the two programs were able to organize a heartfelt “Ava Strong” game on the very day of Ava’s first surgery. Carlson and Bonetto, longtime peers on and off the field, share a mutual respect and a commitment to fostering not just athletes, but compassionate and community-minded young women.
Both teams honored Ava by wearing teal, purple, and pink ribbons—the colors of the #AvaStrong bracelets being sold to support her journey—along with matching softball socks and dugouts decorated with messages of hope. A handcrafted “HOPE” sign became a central symbol of the event. The teams united in a postgame photo to send a clear message: Ava is not alone.
In Carlson’s words, the event captured what the softball community is all about—character, empathy, and standing together. “Growing up competing with and against Coach Ashley Bonetto, I always appreciated her values and mindset,” Carlson said. “I couldn’t think of a better coach and team to pair up with for something this important.”
The Ava Strong game was a powerful reminder of how sports can serve as a vehicle for deeper connection, compassion, and community support. Ava Fraser continues to inspire those around her with her strength, and the WNY softball community remains united in her corner—now and always.
