With a solid catch from the Mid-Atlantic Region’s leftfielder, Aubrey Baxter, the Elm Street Park crowd erupts in cheers for the newly crowned 2025 Little League Softball® World Series champions from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. In the infield, shortstop Kennedy Fees hugs her pitcher, Reagan Bills, celebrating the first championship victory for Pennsylvania since 1979. Just days after the magical moment, Kennedy returned to her community ready to get back to work on a project close to her heart – supporting children and families living with Type 1 diabetes.
“I have diabetes,” said Kennedy. “It’s a lot, and it’s hard to deal with my sugar levels, whether it is high or low, especially when I go out on the field. If I go high or low, it’s crazy because it messes with my emotions.”
In July, just weeks before making the trip to Greenville, North Carolina, Kennedy and her Mid-Atlantic Region teammates delivered 35 boxes to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh’s Endocrine Unit. Inside, hygiene products, toys, games, and items of comfort to support children and families during the initial diagnosis stage of Type 1 diabetes (T1D), an autoimmune condition that Kennedy lives with every single day.
With the help of her family, Kennedy started the “Kennedy, Easton & Elle’s Box Adventure” – named after her siblings, Easton and Elle, who were also diagnosed with T1D – and began collecting donations and items. Working with her community to collect items and host fundraisers is rewarding, but it’s the reactions of the families that leave a lasting impression on the young softball star.
“I’m glad that I get to see the kids and help them. My favorite part is seeing the enjoyment on their face when they get these boxes,” said Kennedy. “My favorite memory is when we got this huge gift basket of gift cards. It’s nice because we were able to use it to get stuff like juice boxes and goodies.”
In addition to the boxes, Kennedy and her mom have also started “Strikeout Diabetes,” an annual softball tournament recognizing those who live with T1D every day while raising funds for organizations dedicated to finding a cure. In its first year, the tournament raised more than $2,000 for Breakthrough T1D, formerly known as JDRF.
“We wanted to start a tournament to fundraise money for diabetes,” said Kennedy. “I think it’s important because they need money and stuff like that, because it’s hard to get juices and stuff that you need for diabetes. It means a lot to me because I was once them.”
After a successful softball season filled with lifelong memories and new friendships, Kennedy and her family returned to Pennsylvania, ready for the next tournament and donation collection. For her efforts within her community, as well as her inspiration on the softball field with West Suburban Little League in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, she was recognized as a Little League Community Hero, Presented by New York Life, in September 2025. Since 2020, the Community Heroes recognition program has highlighted those dedicated individuals who not only volunteer their time at your local Little League program but also contribute in other ways to make the community better.
To learn more about the Little League Community Heroes recognition program, Presented by New York Life, and to nominate a Community Hero in your league, visit LittleLeague.org/Community Heroes.