ROCKINGHAM — At first glance, the Southeastern Conference clash between Richmond Senior and Pinecrest on Tuesday will be a battle for second place in the league.
But for one Raider, it means a little more.
Richmond and Pinecrest will be wearing pink uniform tops for the first “Swinging for Pink” game to raise money for Caryla Smith, the mother of starting center fielder Jeremy Smith. Caryla was diagnosed with breast cancer in early February and has been undergoing chemotherapy at Duke University in Durham since March.
One of the organizers, Tammy Brown, said the funds raised from the contest will be donated to the Smith family to assist with medical expenses and the costs for the travel for Caryla’s treatments and doctors appointments.
The team and its supporters have been selling $1 raffle tickets for several prizes to be given away at the end of the Tuesday’s contest. Among the prizes are: gas cards, grocery cards and food cards.
In addition to the raffle, there will be a bake sale which will include homemade goods as well Berry Patch ice cream. Also, breast cancer awareness items will be available for purchase.
“The boys will be wearing their pink that night in support of this cause,” Brown said. “They each have been wearing a pink arm band to personally support their friend Jeremy and his mother, Caryla, since the beginning of the season. These young men have taken this very personal. Most of them have played baseball together since they were very young. They are close friends and so are the families.”
Brown added she encourages any women who are battling breast cancer or are survivors to attend the contest.
“We invite everyone to wear their pink and come support the Richmond Raiders,” Brown said. “When something like this happens, it affects the entire baseball family and we all want to support each other. Unfortunately, it has been a lesson for these young men to show them how quick someone’s life can chance. It is also a way for them to give back to the community as they have been supported by the community in so many ways.”
Members of all school, travel and recreation league baseball and softball squads are invited to attend the game in their team jersey. They will be admitted into the game with a $1 donation to the fight against breast cancer.
— Sports editor Shawn Stinson can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 14, or by email at sstinson@heartlandpublications.com
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