Players with the Vilonia Sports Association hit a homerun Saturday in their efforts to raise money for cancer victim Jessica Payne.
Eighteen softball teams, including teams from Vilonia, Morrilton, Plummerville , Mayflower and Bigelow, played in the all-day competition, according to softball commissioner John Alexander, and more than $1,500 was raised.
Payne, a student at VHS, has been battling ovarian cancer for nearly four years. She’s currently in the middle of radiation treatments—five days a week at UAMS in Little Rock.
“Radiation is a lot tougher on her than the chemo treatments,” according to her mother Kathy Payne. Angela nodded in agreement. Both, mother and daughter were at Saturday’s games cheering the players on to victory. As well, they were present to hand out trophies to the winners at the end of the day. The money raised, Jessica Payne said, will go to her special projects including a Relay for Life Team and Angels for Angela Pillowcase Ministry.
Following graduation, next year, Angela plans to head down a new road. She plans to become an oncology nurse at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.