mlb.com: McCann rallies around children with cancer

McCann and his wife, Ashley, have spent the past couple of years proudly devoting time and money to the Rally Foundation, which was formed three years ago by Dean Crowe, who gained the inspiration after watching one of her son’s youth baseball teammates battle through cancer and the long-term effects of the treatments.

Crowe’s fight was significantly bolstered this week through the efforts of McCann, who staged the inaugural Brian McCann Rally Celebrity Softball Game at Georgia Tech’s Russ Chandler Stadium on Friday night and a successful fund-raising banquet that raised $276,500 on Thursday night.

“Brian and Ashley are really involved with the kids, deeply and personally,” Crowe said.

Though he must wear a back brace 20 hours a day, Vassil is a passionate kid who truly became an inspiration to those who attended Thursday night’s banquet.

Former Braves favorite Andruw Jones highlighted Friday night’s events by winning the home run derby and then homering from both sides of the plate. His seventh-inning blast, from the right side, soared over the 400-foot mark of the stadium’s green wall.

But the 10-time Gold Glove Award winner’s greatest contribution came on Thursday, when he urged Vassil to provide some motivation during the auction.

At Jones’ urging, Vassil took the microphone and revealed that he would shave his head if somebody provided a donation of $10,000. Don and Terri Elias of Donte Properties met the challenge, and the inspirational teenager proudly kept his end of the bargain. At the end of the second inning on Friday, McCann did the honors and shaved Vassil’s head.