Home Runs for Hope needs your vote

Zachary Stokes presents a check for $343.50 to Lynn Hazel at Palmetto Health Foundation on behalf of Home Runs For Hope. Rising Lexington Middle School sixth grader Zachary Stokes is an honor roll student, a baseball fanatic, and, according to his mother, Laurie, "an all- around good kid."

The only difference between Zachary and hundreds of other West Columbia 11- year- olds is a mysterious, life- threatening disease called Langerhan's Cell Histiocytosis, a rare blood disease that is caused by an excess of white blood cells.

According to www.histio.org, "The histiocytes cluster together and can attack the skin, bones, lung, liver, spleen, gums, ears, eyes, and/or the central nervous system. The disease can range from limited involvement that spontaneously regresses to progressive multiorgan involvement that can be chronic and debilitating."

Zachary was diagnosed in March 2006 and underwent brain surgery, but in November of last year, a lesion was found on his spine, which is now being treated with chemotherapy. The family suffered a further blow when another lesion was found on his femur June 29.

"He is scheduled for some more tests, so right now, we are doing a lot of praying," said Laurie. "But we will get through it because Zachary has more bravery and courage and humor than most adults I know."

Zachary has found a way to combine tragedy with philanthropy, with a healthy dose of his favorite sport thrown in, and now it's America's turn to chip in.

Two years ago, soon after his diagnosis, he came to his mother with an idea.

"He said he wanted to do something to help the hospital that had done so much to help him," Laurie recalled. "Since we are all big baseball fans, he came up with the idea to contribute his allowance money for every home run hit by the USC baseball team."

Parents Laurie and Jeffrey pledged to match his total in the first year, and Home Runs For Hope presented a check to Palmetto Children's Hospital for $200.

The following year, Zachary decided to add on $5 for each grand slam hit by the Gamecocks, and several godparents and friends got on board with the program. His check for $343.50 was presented several weeks ago to the Palmetto Health Foundation.

The family, even through the chemotherapy, and the setbacks, wanted to grow the program beyond West Columbia and the Stokes family. Laurie was browsing through Facebook and stumbled upon an idea that has potential to bring awareness of the rare disease as well as funds for Palmetto.

CITGO Petroleum Corporation is having a monthly contest to recognize and reward "local heroes who do good work in their communities."

It posts personal stories about individuals that are supporting their communities in small or large ways, and asks people to vote on the cause or individual who they think is doing the most good.

"Underlying the promotion is the notion that while the spirit of helping others is alive and well, many good deeds simply go unnoticed," the fuelingood. com website said.

"I stumbled upon CITGO's Fuelinggood.com website and submitted our story," Laurie said. "We got a call on July 1 saying that we were one of the five national finalists."

The entry that receives the most votes each month from the American public will win a CITGO gift card valued at a year's supply of fuel. The other four finalists will win $50 CITGO gift cards.

"We are going to try to find a way to give this to the hospital to help with the transport of patients, or donate it on a radiothon that helps raise money for the hospital," Laurie said.

Edi tor's Note: Visi t

www.fuelinggood.com to

vote for Home Runs for

Hope. You can vote once

each day.