Posted: Tuesday, August 26, 2014 4:21 pm | Updated: 4:27 pm, Tue Aug 26, 2014.

FREEPORT - Keith Stoddard hasnt watched a whole lot of field hockey, but hell be cheering on the Freeport High School alumni team on Sept. 6, when they take on the high school varsity in the annual Falcon Pride fundraiser.

Stoddard, who is fighting stage 4 lymphoma, will see a lot of his Freeport class of 1990 classmates that day, as well as his sister, Ellen Golding, who played the sport and graduated the following year. The game and the event to follow at Bucks Naked BBQ and Steakhouse in Freeport highlight the effort that Falcon Pride is making to help Stoddard with his medical expenses. The Gray resident, a carpenter who has two daughters, is going through chemotherapy, and doing part-time office work while he undergoes treatment.

It means a lot, Stoddard said Aug. 15, as he and his girlfriend, Amanda Kesseli, met at Bucks Naked BBQ with Falcon Pride, a group of field hockey players and their friends who went to Freeport High in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Im not used to getting help from other people, so its kind of weird for me.

The Falcon Pride fundraising effort for Stoddard already has started, as the group seeks auction items and donations. Those interested can contact Becky Daniel at rebeccadan@atmsn.com, 865-0645 or see the Falcon Pride Facebook page. On Aug. 20, the group held a Bike Night fundraiser for Stoddard, which included 50-50 drawings, a donation bucket and live music, at Bucks Naked BBQ.

The big event is the alumni game at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, followed by the auction and 50-50 drawing, at Bucks.

Stoddard, who learned in April that he had the disease, is optimistic he will recover.

I have chemo every three weeks, he said. I think its going to be fine.

Falcon Pride is putting on the events on the heels of a tough few weeks. Members learned that one of their teammates, Lisa Marie Waterman Granville, of Durham, died at the age of 43 on Aug. 11 from mesothelioma. The first Falcon Pride fundraiser two years ago netted $4,400 to help Granville.

We really do want to focus on Keith, because he is our candidate this year, said Becky (Curtis) Daniel. Our hearts are heavy for Lisa.

The rest is here:
Falcon Pride: Fun game, serious cause