Cardinals players suit up to support Lyncoln and Nova

There was Matthew Liberatore, decked out in a suit, standing opposite Ivan Herrera across a ping pong table. Nearby, JoJo Romero and Kyle Leahy had swapped fastballs and breaking pitches for a game of cornhole with guests while Pedro Pages and Nolan Gorman waited on deck for their turn.

They're part of a long lineage of Cardinals players who, along with their significant others, have taken up a cause previously championed by Cardinals couples like Adam and Jenny Wainwright and Matt and Leslee Holliday: the Cardinals Wives for Wishes fundraiser, now in its 13th year, for Make-A-Wish's Kansas and Missouri chapter. This year's black-tie optional event featured a live auction, drinks and hors d'oeuvres, and opportunities for attendees to mingle with their favorite players, from Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn to Victor Scott II and Lars Nootbaar.

But the superstars of the evening were two young girls who've faced a curveball more harsh than any thrown on a baseball field. Now 5-year-olds Lyncoln and Nova met in the hospital after they were diagnosed with cancer just four months apart, and bonded during their treatments. As it turns out, each had the same wish when asked separately: to go to Disney World … together.

In partnership with the Cardinals, that dream will come true later this year. The girls received rousing applause when they were honored onstage at the event.

"Hi, guys!" an outgoing Lyncoln declared into the microphone as their families talked about walking together through the treatment process (in their battles against cancer, Nova rang the bell earlier this year, and Lyncoln's turn is arriving soon).

Count the Cardinals and their significant others among those cheering on Lyncoln and Nova in their journeys, as well as others facing similar challenges. Throughout the evening, the Cardinals families were on hand to show their support – from the silent auction gift baskets curated with individual players' "favorite things" to the sweet interactions between the Make-A-Wish recipients and the wives and girlfriends of the Cardinals players. A few weeks prior to the event, the Cardinals families held a tea party for Lyncoln and Nova, during which they revealed that the girls would get their wish to visit Disney World together. Several Cardinals wives and girlfriends also brought gifts for the young duo.

Meanwhile, at the event, the players signed autographs and participated in an auction to help grant wishes to several more kids fighting illnesses (even locally, there are over 200 kids waiting to have their wish granted). Over half the current Cardinals roster was in attendance, most accompanied by a spouse or girlfriend.

But the best sight of the night was Nova and Lyncoln running around in princess dresses, looking happy, healthy, and right at home amid a venue decorated impeccably to fit a fairy tale theme. Around them, sounds of laughter and joy rang out as the evening’s attendees generously bid on items or donated to try their hand at playing cornhole and ping pong against world-class athletes.

Perhaps Jason, the father of Lyncoln, said it best during the Make-A-Wish presentation video:

"You'll never regret changing someone's life for the better."

Photo credits: Ben Munson/St. Louis Cardinals