14 Yr Old Kadin Nicolau -- Baseball Fan/Player Focus Of Heartfelt Fundraisers After He Was Struck By A Car/Nearly Killed (May 2011, Carson St./Studebaker Rd.) -- Will Toss Out First Ball At LB Pony Baseball's Season Opener Sunday March 4 @ Whaley Park

Mr. Nicolau, age 14, "continues to show steady progress and will throw out the ceremonial first ball on opening day for the Long Beach Pony Baseball season where he played last spring." This is scheduled to take place at Whaley Park (SE quadrant of Bellflower Blvd./Atherton St.) behind the YMCA and next to CSULB.

When LBReport.com arrived at the scene of the awful May 7, 2011 accident (Carson St./Studebaker Rd.) -- and saw the child's baseball cap in the middle of the road -- our heart sank. Mr. McKean [LB City College journalism professor, journalism program coordinator and student newspaper adviser] now says Mr. Nicolau was not expected to survive when rushed to the hospital that night after suffering major head, chest and leg injuries.

LBReport.com continued to cover the story as family and friends organized multiple grassroots fundraisers for the family...and the community responded.

The events began with lemonade stands, donations, meals, prayers, visits, carwashes...and Kadin's opponents wearing Angel hats when they played his Angels team in a Long Beach Pony baseball game May 10.

The Long Beach State Dirtbags baseball team sponsored fundraisers with raffles that included autographed baseballs from Major League players and donations from local businesses. Alumnus Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim threw out the first ball...and Kadin's picture was displayed on Blair Field's scoreboard several times throughout the games.

On the weekend of Saturday-Sunday May 21-22, 2011 (the Dirtbags' final game of the season at Blair Field), LBReport.com was present as baseball fans spotted the raffle ticket table with Kadin's name...and generously opened their pocketbooks to purchase tickets. At the start of Saturday's game, organizers roughly estimated that they'd sold roughly 1,000 tickets (at about a dollar each).

Kadin, a student at ELB's Newcomb Elementary, played baseball for the "Whaley Angels"...and Blair Field's batting area displayed his initials (KPN).

The next day (May 22, 2011), Daniel Van Hoosier attended the final game of the season and filed this report Special to LBReport.com:

(May 22, 2011) -- Fundraising efforts in support of 13 year-old Kadin Nicolau continued Sunday, May 22 at Blair Field leading up to Long Beach State’s final baseball game of the season.

Raffle tickets were sold before and during the games Saturday and Sunday for prizes such as restaurant gift cards and Dirtbag merchandise. Volunteers staffed a table set up just inside the entrance gate alongside homemade signs.

Poster displayed near raffle table. Photo by Daniel Van Hoosier

Banner on raffle table. Photo by Daniel Van Hoosier

The effort was put-forth to support Kadin’s family with medical expenses. He was critically injured after being hit by a car May 7.

Kadin is a 7th grader at Newcomb Elementary. He plays baseball for the Whaley Angels.

Kimberly Daro and Stella Wheeler have headed the fundraising. In addition to the raffle tickets, there has been a carwash as well as a "Koncert for Kadin" in Oceanside to help raise money. According to Daro there will be "several more" fundraisers to come in the next weeks.

Kadin’s initials were painted on the grass behind home plate for the weekend series against Northridge.

Photo by Daniel Van Hoosier

Kadin’s parents were in attendance Sunday and are very thankful for the efforts that have been put forth so far. His father, Kevin Nicolau told LBReport.com: "We are so touched, the people have been so good to us. With all the bad you see on T.V. this is what it is really like out there, people like this."

Kadin’s mother, Kerri added, "Thank you for all the support, everyone that has been here for us. We are overwhelmed and thankful. We wouldn’t be able to go on without everyone’s love and support."

The family remains fully optimistic about Kadin’s recovery, with Kevin’s final comment being, "Come back and see us when Kadin is up and going."

According to Julie Shinar, who headed the raffle table, $952 was raised on Saturday and more than $1,300 on Sunday. As of noon on Sunday, the carwash at the drive-through dairy on Norwalk Blvd. had raised over $1,000.

Prof. McKean continued to keep the story in the public's eye, providing us with these words in a related story on LBReport.com last summer when Lakewood High alumnus Mike Fitzgerald (former Angels major leaguer) tossed out a ceremonial first pitch last summer...in honor of Kadin.

[Salient portion of Prof. McKean's text] (June 30, 2011) -- Mike Fitzgerald made hundreds of trips to the mound at Anaheim Stadium while playing catcher with the Angels in 1992, but never threw a pitch there until Wednesday afternoon. That's when he was invited back as an Angel alumnus to deliver the honorary first pitch as the team celebrates its 50th anniversary...

He tossed a pitch to his youngest son, Mike, 14, while wearing a wrist band honor Kadin Nicolau, a 13-year-old Lakewood boy critically injured in a car accident May 7. Kadin played for the Long Beach Pony Baseball Angels’ team that Fitzgerald helped coach.

LBReport.com looks forward to seeing Kadin Nicolau on the baseball field this Sunday Mar. 5, 2012. Watch for our coverage, coming up.

Mr. Nicolau, on his beloved pitcher's mound, prior to the accident.