Justin Page is organizing a softball tournament to raise funds for his team's participation in the Light the Night Walk.
The 2009 Light the Night Walk softball tournament is at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Dupree Park on Neese Road in Woodstock. The two-mile Light the Night Walk is at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta.
Page will walk with team Graebel-Norcross, which is made up of his co-workers from Graebel Relocation Services Worldwide in Norcross.
Ten teams of adults have signed up to play in the softball tournament, Page said, noting he's already raised $3,000.
He's hoping the tournament will bring in at least another $5,000. Each team participating in the tournament, he said, is required to give at least $150 to play.
"It's going to be a pretty big event," he said.
According to Tracy Manning, special events campaign manager with Georgia chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Saturday's walk may draw 9,000 participants.
Ms. Manning added the chapter is hoping to bring in $1.3 million with the walk. So far, $1.1 million has been raised. Last year, $1.2 million was raised.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services.
Leukemia is a disease of the blood and bone marrow and is characterized by the uncontrolled accumulation of blood cells.
Lymphoma is a general term used to describe a group of cancers that originates in a person's lymphatic system.
Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells, a type of white cell found in many tissues of the body, but primarily in the bone marrow.
Page said he was approached by a fellow church member to help raise money for the walk. After being asked, Page said he thought long and hard about the decision.
He said he "felt it on my heart" to have an event that will help raise money.
"I felt like I really needed to do something," he said, adding his lifelong involvement with church and the community moved him into action.
A member of New Harmony Baptist Church, just across the county line in Forsyth County, Page said he's recruited members of his church to run the concessions. The Kroger on Cumming Highway in Macedonia also will sponsor the event.
Along with concessions, Page said members of his church will be selling baked goods.
Page said he hopes many people will come to the tournament and support his fundraising efforts.
While he has no connection with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma, Page said the diseases can easily affect anyone and their families.
"We all should dig deep and try to find a cure for this," he said.
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