Three children with critical illnesses got a day they won't forget at BayCare Ballpark this week, meeting Phillies players and touring the Clearwater facility through a partnership with Make-A-Wish Philadelphia.

Damon, Shay and McKenna, identified by first names only per Make-A-Wish privacy practice, visited the ballpark on Old Coachman Road earlier in the week of Aug. 4. The Philadelphia Phillies announced the visit on their official X account Thursday, Aug. 6.

The team said it was privileged to host the three children, who got a behind-the-scenes look at the stadium and met players.

Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley, founded in 1986, has granted more than 8,400 wishes to children with critical illnesses across 13 counties in Pennsylvania and the state of Delaware. The visit marks another community use for BayCare Ballpark beyond its roles as the Phillies' spring training home and the year-round home of the Single-A Clearwater Threshers.

The Phillies have trained in Clearwater since 1947, the second-longest affiliation between a major league club and its spring training city in baseball history. Their charitable arm, Phillies Charities Inc., distributed more than $2.6 million in grants in 2025 to causes in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and areas near minor league affiliates including Clearwater.

BayCare Ballpark is also in the middle of a $205 million renovation tied to a 20-year lease extension that would keep the Phillies in Clearwater through at least 2047. Pinellas County commissioners approved up to $85 million in tourist tax funds toward the project in April, and the Phillies have already invested $49 million in the first phase of construction.

The next action at BayCare Ballpark comes Friday, Aug. 7, when the Clearwater Threshers host the Tampa Tarpons in a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. after Thursday, Aug. 6's game was rained out. The Threshers sit at 61-40 overall and 21-14 in the second half.