Kaleb Becker, 3, plays with a magic wand in his Eaton Rapids house Friday. Sept. 30, 2016. Becker was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia in August, the day of his father’s 43rd birthday. The community is planning a fundraiser for the family. Becker will be honored at Friday’s football game between Lansing Catholic and Eaton Rapids.
The State Journal’s story earlier this week on 3-year-old Kaleb Becker, an Eaton Rapids native who was recently diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a common childhood cancer, hit home with David Hart.
Hart, a senior on the Lansing Catholic football team, has people in his family who have battled cancer. And with the Greyhounds next up on the Cougars’ schedule, the senior along with teammate Michael Lynn III wanted to help honor Becker.
Hart sent the story to his teammates in a group text, and Lynn III took it upon himself to reach out to Eaton Rapids athletic director Jeff Dassance to arrange an “Orange Out” for Friday’s CAAC White contest between the two teams at Lansing Catholic High School.
Both student sections will wear orange and members of the Lansing Catholic football team will wear an orange long-sleeve shirt during pre-game that will read “Kaleb Strong,” which will be created by the Cougars’ Anthony Stone.
“I thought that we should try to do our part to help, especially since we were playing Eaton Rapids this week, too,” Hart said. “It means everything to me. I think it’s great that two teams, in the heat of competition, can come together and support a family for a good cause.”
Lynn III said he got in contact with Dassance via Twitter shortly after seeing the story and has been working with the Greyhounds’ student section to arrange the “Orange Out.” Eaton Rapids’ student section initially had a “Black Out” theme for Friday.
“I didn’t want it to be a one-sided thing,” Lynn III said.
Dassance said the plan is to have both teams sign one of the long-sleeve orange shirts and present it to the Becker family at the game.
Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.
Kaleb Becker, 3, plays with a magic wand in his Eaton Rapids house Friday. Sept. 30, 2016. Becker was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia in August, the day of his father’s 43rd birthday. The community is planning a fundraiser for the family. Becker will be honored at Friday’s football game between Lansing Catholic and Eaton Rapids.