Saturday, July 21, 2007 / Herald Democrat

Gainesville’s Colton Pfeifer, who turns 5 on August 4, will join a team of Texas organ transplant recipients to play softball against a team of North Texas media personalities, when the Texas Rangers and Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) host their 13th annual Texas Rangers Organ Donor Game on Saturday. The softball game begins at 4:30 p.m. at the Dr Pepper Youth Ballpark.

Pfeifer was a year-and-a-half old when he received his liver transplant and turned two while in the hospital.

He was born with Alagille syndrome and was jaundiced with terrible itching. Since his transplant, he has been able to lead as close to a normal life as possible.

He plays soccer, goes boating, fishes, swims and graduated from pre-school in May.

Pfeifer’s family moved to Texas from Idaho due to the outstanding transplant programs in Dallas. They got the call that a liver was available just a month after moving to Texas.

The Texas Rangers and Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) have partnered on an annual Organ Donor Game since baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle received his liver transplant in 1995. That year, all major league teams hosted organ donor games.

After a few years, just a handful of teams still hosted the games.

About that time, the Rangers decided to step up the effort, adding the softball game between Texas transplant recipients and Dallas-Fort Worth media personalities. The event is in its 13th year and the softball game is in its 11th year.

Scheduled to toss out this year’s first pitch are Everson Walls and Ron Springs, former teammates with the Dallas Cowboys.