MILWAUKEE — It had already been a very long day at the Brewers’ annual fan fest, and Prince Fielder had signed a few hundred autographs. But there were still fans waiting in line, so when one little boy lingered next to his favorite player and mom fiddled with the camera, an official asked the boy to please move along.
That’s when Fielder put a big arm around the boy’s shoulder.
“I’ll never forget it,” said Mary Kilar, the mom trying to coax the camera to cooperate. “Prince looked right at him and said, ‘You stay right here, little man,’ and he kind of held him there so I could take the picture.”
….The picture came out a bit fuzzy, but 6-year-old Treyton Kilar didn’t mind. Prince was his FAVORITE, and Treyton decreed that the No. 28 jersey he was wearing that day would never be washed again. Mom honored the order.
Eight months later, Treyton was buried in that jersey. In early September, he was killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver.
Today, the Brewers are putting the final organizational touches on the next installment of “Brewers On Deck,” and the Kilars are trying to turn their personal tragedy into a positive for the community. They are seeking a $250,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project to build the “Treyton Kilar Field of Dreams,” a youth facility in Whitewater, Wis. They need help.
Winning proposals are selected via online voting at www.refresheverything.com/treytonkilar, and only two will win at the $250,000 level. As of Thursday morning, Treyton’s ballpark was in the money, but balloting continues through Jan. 31, and one vote can be cast per day via e-mail, text and Facebook.
Via Wisconsin’s Kilar family turns to baseball amid tragedy | MLB.com: News.