Sluggers, a batting cage and basketball facility in the Cleveland Community of Johnston County, will be hosting a special weekend April 14 and 15 to benefit brain tumor research. All proceeds from the weekend will be given to the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical Center. Julie Lee, the 28 year old wife of Sluggers’ owner Denton Lee III and beloved teacher at Cleveland Elementary School, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor known as a glioblastoma multiforme on December 3, 2006 and has been undergoing treatments since and will continue for as much as two years. The benefit will hopefully help the wonderful doctors at Duke find a cure for this devastating form of cancer. Before you read on, it’s not only a day for kids and big kids. There will be plenty to do and see for almost anyone! Contests and competitions planned for the weekend include 3-on-3 basketball tournaments for youth and adults, free throw and three-point shooting contests, youth home-run derby, pitching contests, a hit-the-center-pole contest, horseshoe tournament, and community kickball and basketball games. Most events can be entered on the days of the event. However, the 3-on-3 basketball tournaments require prior registration. Please call Sluggers today to register your team. Prizes will be awarded for each competition. Most events are only $5.00. 3-on-3 is $15.00 per team. Appearing Saturday morning will be Miss North Carolina 2005 Brooke McLaurin, who has been diagnosed with two benign brain tumors. She will be present between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm Saturday the 14th. Other attractions include inflatables, dunking booth, face painting, hot dogs, cotton candy, Sno-cones, and a 50-50 Raffle. A huge attraction for the weekend will no doubt be the Silent Auction. Featured items include an autographed Michael Jordan basketball card, a Sidney Lowe signed basketball, and a hat signed by the entire 2006 College World Series runner-up UNC Tar Heels baseball team. Lots of other sport and non-sport items will also be up for auction. Julie plans on being at the event as much as possible, so come out with a big heart, a big wallet, and an appetite for being a big kid for the weekend. Benefit hours are Saturday, April 14 from 9 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 15 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. To contact Sluggers, please visit www.sluggersonline.net or call (919) 989-3000. Schedule of Events All-day events for both days include: Inflatables (Moon Walk, Giant Slide) Dunking Booth Batting Cage Center Pole Contest – hit the center pole of the batting cage within 48 pitches, win a prize Silent Auction 50-50 Raffle Face Painting Hot Dogs, Cotton Candy, Sno-cones, Bake Sale Other Events with Scheduled time slots: Adult 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, Ages 15 and up Saturday 9 – 1 Youth 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, Youth 8-14 Saturday 2 – 6 Youth Home Run Derby, Youth up to 14 years Saturday 1 pm, 5 pm Sunday 2 pm Youth & Adult Pitching Contests Saturday 11 am, 4 pm Sunday 4 pm Free Throw Shooting Contests Saturday 1 pm, 6 pm Sunday 4:30 pm Three-Point Shooting Contests Saturday 1:30 pm, 6:30 pm Sunday 5 pm 80 Cent Token Bonanza, 1 hour only, 10 tokens max Sunday 1 pm Community Kickball Game, kids versus adults Sunday 3 pm Community Basketball Game, kids versus adults Sunday 5:30 pm
Great event, the wife bid on five or six items in the Silent Action, so I need you all to put in a bid or I am going to be broke tomorrow. Keep up the good work Denton!
Sluggers hosts benefit Benefit today was a huge success. It continues tomorrow starting at 1:00 pm. Inflatables will be up and running if it is not raining...children love these!! Various activities are planned for Sun.....a 50-50 raffle will continue with the winner being drawn about 7:00 pm...winner does not have to be present to win. The children (and adults) can have their faces painted or a tattoo 'painted' on. There is plenty of baked goods for sale, hot dogs and drinks, and cotton candy will be available. The Silent Auction with great sports stuff will continue until 7:00 pm. There is also trees and shrubs, container gardens, beauty and spa packages, and jewelry on the auction. There is something for everyone and the money raised will be donated to the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical Center. See you there!!!
Can anyone give the status of Julie? Is she doing better? Hope they raise a lot of money for this cause, this is a great thing they are doing.
If you buy a copy of the Clayton/Cleveland Herald there is an article about her and the fund raiser on page 2. From the article, I gather she is doing wonderful and has gone back to work. Way to go, Julie!! Hope you continue to get better.
First of all, I need to give a huge THANK YOU to all who came out this weekend. I'm still waiting on some Silent Auction items and I'm tired of counting, but by the initial numbers, it looks like we raised over $7,000 for Brain Tumor Research. I would have been elated with half that number, so I guess that makes me doubly elated. Anyway, a quick update on Julie. It's been four and a half months since she was diagnosed, and so far, God has answered a lot of prayers. The MRI after the first round of radiation and chemo showed no new growth in the tumor, and she has begun a clinical trial (read: experimental) of immunotherapy that will last 4-6 months. I won't go into detail about immunotherapy, but look it up if you have the chance. It's pretty fascinating. 'No new growth' doesn't mean that she is cancer free as the tumor she has produces microscopic cancerous tentacles that extend as much as two centimeters from the actual tumor, but it's still good news. The MRI is incapable of seeing these tentacles, but the doctors know they are still there. She will be on some form of treatment for as much as two years, so long as the MRI's continue to show no new growth. In other words, if you've been praying for Julie, keep doing so. It's working. And, yes, she went back to work teaching two weeks ago, which, if you know Julie, is probably better medicine than any of the doctors have prescribed so far. God Bless you guys, Denton
