Approximately 4,000 residents turned out Friday to support the family of a school resource deputy who has fallen ill with a rare form of cancer, according to officials who organized the event.
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A powder puff football game that pit senior cheerleaders against their younger counterparts, with their male classmates dressed donning pink and black outfits and pom poms, raised several thousand dollars for the Freeman Family Fight.
Deputy Devin Freeman has been the school resource deputy for Canyon High School, and neighboring Sierra Vista Junior High School, for approximately five years, he said.
He was recently diagnosed with ocular melanoma, a rare form of cancer, which metastasized to his liver in March.
A Facebook page supporting his family was set up, called “Freeman Family Fight,” but members of the schools community he serves wanted to do more.
“From friends and family, the support has just been amazing, very humbling,” Freeman said. “I don’t know what else I can say.”
Admission was $2, and at 8:30 Friday night, ticket-takers at the front gate noted a steady line of people had been coming in the door for about three hours.
There was also a silent auction, donations and food trucks at the event, which were giving a portion of their proceeds to the Freeman Family Fight.
“Talk about the true definition of community,” said Mike Motherspaw, the faculty director of the Associated Student Body at Canyon High School. “Yeah, it’s a football game, but that’s not really what’s going on. We’ve got alumni here, we’ve got family, that have all come together to help the Freeman family in their fight against cancer.”
Freeman was upbeat in his fight Friday night, right before the game’s announcer stopped the action and the crowd watched as a humbled Freeman to take a lap to thank the community that supported him.
“I’m doing good,” Freeman said, “just taking it day by day, and going with the flow.”
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