What is Kisses for Kyle? Meet the nonprofit with a special Phillies connection
WILLOW GROVE, Pa. (CBS) -- Liam Castellanos has become a good luck charm for the Philadelphia Phillies, and the 10-year-old son of slugger Nick Castellanos is lending his artistic side to benefit a local charity that helps families battling childhood cancer.
It's hard to ignore the countless nods to the Phillies in Sharon Snyder's Willow Grove home. From hats to bobbleheads, the Snyder family loves their hometown team.
"We took him to a Phillies game when he was battling leukemia," Snyder said, "and he was a little sports kid."
Just shy of his second birthday, Kyle Snyder was diagnosed with leukemia and lost his battle months later.
Today, Kyle would be 27 years old.
"It's surreal to see a lot of the players that are his age or around his age and can't help but wonder," Sharon Snyder said of her oldest son. "You know, would he have been part of that?"
Being a mom is what Snyder feels she was put on this earth to do. So, the Kisses for Kyle Foundation was born 22 years ago.
The foundation helps families in the Delaware Valley through a cancer diagnosis.
Snyder said the Phillies are one of the foundation's biggest supporters.
"Everyone there -- the team, the front office, their entire staff," she said. "There's something about them that their love and their genuine care and support is like nothing I've ever seen."
Liam recently said on social media that he was making a T-shirt to benefit a local charity. On Sunday night, Phillies fans learned on X that Kisses for Kyle was his pick.
"It's just a perfect combination of a great cause, a team that people are fired up for an amazing child who just has an absolute heart of gold," In the Clutch Apparel co-founder Josh Sneed said.
In 12 hours of sales for "Liam's Battle Cry" shirts, Sneed said 1,000 were ordered.
"As long as Liam says keep selling it, then we'll keep selling it," Sneed said. "It's so fun because he actually requested a business meeting like when it came time, it wasn't, you know, this wasn't going through. You know, Nick or Jess or Nick's mom. It was Liam."
Sneed said the reason why Liam wanted the proceeds to go to the Montgomery County nonprofit is because of his relationship with Philly's beloved bat boy Adam Crognale.
The one time a Kisses for Kyle kid helped Liam make the announcement.
"Very first donation that we gave to them," Snyder said, "he went to the Phillies game."
Some would call that a full circle moment. Snyder certainly does. She's thankful for the continued support as she works to fight childhood cancer.
"I know Kyle's there in spirit and right beside me and right beside everyone cheering on the Phillies," Snyder said.
