The Columbus Lodge #2143 Golden Lions softball committee, together with not-for-profit organization Homeruns for Life, recently announced they will join the fight against cancer by holding a softball fundraising event to benefit the Long Island Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

"The time was right for us to use our skills to raise money for research that will save lives," said Ed Bochynski, a trustee for Columbus Lodge #2143 and director at the North Shore-LIJ Health System. When a 40-year-old colleague died of leukemia last September, leaving behind three children under 8-years-old, Bochynski said he knew he wanted to get involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Statistically, every nine minutes someone with a blood cancer will die. With a survival rate of only 30 percent, leukemia is the leading cause of disease-related death among children under the age of 15 and strikes twice as many adults. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is dedicated to finding a cause and eventual cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

The softball tournament and slow pitch softball home run contest will take place some time in late summer, with exact date and location to be announced on the Homeruns for Life website, www.homerunsforlife.org. A grand prize will also be announced. The contest is open to adults over 18 years of age, with separate competitions for men and women.

Already, local businesses have pledged their support for the event and are sponsoring teams. Farmingdale residents Joe and Susan Contorno have volunteered to assist the event, and Pete Gisonda, a member of the Massapequa Chamber of Commerce, noted that the event was "growing legs." In order to reach this year's goal of $15,000 raised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society, Bochynski said he hoped other businesses and individuals from the Massapequa area would "step up to the plate for a worthy cause."

Members of Columbus Lodge #2143 formed a travel softball team nearly a decade ago as a way to dedicate their talent on the softball field toward raising money for local charities. Entering this season, the Columbus Lodge Golden Lions' participation in charity softball events has helped raise over $600,000.

This summer, the Golden Lions will also participate in other softball fundraising events that will benefit Developmental Disabilities Institute, a not-for-profit charity that helps children with autism, and the Ronald McDonald House, which provides comfort and shelter to families experiencing the pain of having a seriously ill child in the hospital. Some organizations that have benefited in the past are the Arthritis Foundation and Easter Seals Society.