For almost 30 years, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has been doing wonderful work, making the most difficult times in children's lives a little easier to bear for them and their families. But in all those years and all those that organization has never seen anything quite like what they found on Whidbey Island.

Is it possible that the whole world is just crawling with good people, who are dying to do wonderful things, but they just don't know where to do them or who to do them for?

That would explain a gathering at South Whidbey's baseball field, where a community laid out its heart out on the grass for a shy boy who had a simple idea that had a profound effect.

That boy, Colton Wilson, is a sophomore catcher with so-so speed and a sweet, pure swing. He missed the entire South Whidbey High season this year.

"It was a sad day...a lot of tears," said his dad, Todd Wilson.

It's something called Ewing Sarcoma, a cancer of the bone. It was in Colton's tibia, so they cut out a 5-inch chunk and replaced it with bone from a donor's leg.

One year and 15 rounds of chemo later, it took. Colton's gonna be fine.

"I'm just, I'm not scared anymore now that it's...done," he said.

But the story isn't really about cancer. It's about what cancer revealed.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation asked Colton a while back if there was something he'd like to do, somewhere he'd like to go.

His dad thought he would want to meet a big-leaguer. Mom thought maybe the family would end up in Hawaii or something.

Colton fooled 'em all.

"It was pretty much the first thing I thought of. I just thought it'd be nice to have a nicer field to play on," he said.

That's it. A catcher with a ravaged leg and an iffy baseball future at best wanted the ball field fixed up, wanted a nicer place for his buddies to play. As wishes go, it was simple and perfect.

"It is very unique and very rare that a child will use their one special wish for others to benefit other people," said Jessie Ellenbaas, a Make-A-Wish coordinator.

It struck a chord.

People heard about the selfless act, and they wanted to help. Kreig Construction donated gravel and asphalt. Island Asphalt sent out their best equipment to put the stuff down. A company in Tennessee contributed bleachers and the high school shop class put them all together.

It kept getting bigger and bigger.

And on a rainy Saturday, when upwards of a hundred people showed up to do whatever they could, everyone knew something very special was happening.

"Well, I haven't heard anybody complain - too much," said Todd Wilson.

They were everywhere, hammering in field turf, working on the new batting cages, whacking weed.

"It is just amazing what is transpiring here," said Colton's coach, Dave Getlin.

Kevin Claudon didn't know a soul on the field. He lives in Lynnwood and heard about Colton's wish on the radio.

"If we all did a little bit of this the world would be a better place," he said. "I thought well, I paint. And maybe there's some things that need to be painted. And here I am, painting the dugouts."

In the middle of it all was Colton himself - sort of proud, sort of amazed.

"I didn't imagine it would be this big...all this stuff happening," he said.

Colton's not the only one who made a wish. His friends made one a while back, too. It also seems to be coming true. Next year, if things stay on track, Colton will be back, playing baseball again.

"We're really lucky to have a kid like him on our team and in our lives," said Trapper Rawls, a teammate.

And to cap it all off, they all came together for a night of celebration - the givers, the friends, the strangers, the sentimental softies who just wanted to meet the kid who brought a whole island together.

"You've created a memory that no one at this field tonight will ever forget. I also look forward to the first time i write your name in the starting lineup," the team's coach said to Colton. "Thank you very much."

Maybe the world really is just full of good people, dying to do wonderful things. South Whidbey most definitely is. That's the lesson of Colton Wilson's wish.

"Boy, it gives you hope," Getlin said. "It makes you think that this is the way things are supposed to be with people and life."