The local baseball community is rallying around Jeremy Demers once again.
On Saturday at Maines Field and Ray Ellerbrook Field in Northampton, area softball teams, stocked with his friends, family and teammates will compete in the Jeremy “J.J.” Demers 1 Pitch Softball Tournament from 9 a.m. into the evening.
Demers, 33, a former star pitcher at Easthampton High School and UMass, has been battling cancer on and off since first being diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease, a form of lymphoma, late in 2013. Demers, whose cancer returned this year, is in the midst of his third round of chemotherapy and needs an intensive bone marrow transplant. Family members, the most likely match, are being tested first.
If a relative isn’t compatible, a search will be conducted through the international registry affiliated with BeTheMatch.org.
Because transplants are more likely to be successful in a person whose immune system is less capable of attacking the new cells, Demers, who works at the Mullins Center, will have his immune system weakened prior to the procedure. That will making him more vulnerable to diseases, forcing his exposure to other people to be limited. He’ll likely be unable to work during his recovery, making the financial help he’s receiving that much more critical.
The entry fees for the 12 teams involved, as well as any money raised from sales of concessions, T-shirts and bracelets, will all go to helping defray his considerable medical costs.
“I’m extremely appreciative of my friends, family and local business who have supported me through this battle again. They’ve helped me a lot,” said Demers, a volunteer assistant with the Easthampton American Legion team. “I’m wicked appreciative. The support is unbelievable,”
A softball tournament is an appropriate method of raising funds. During his 2013-14 battle with cancer, the ex-baseball used the chance to get back on the diamond, as motivation. When he was healthy enough, he played softball as much as he could, making friends around the region. In addition to raising money, the tournament an opportunity to gather a lot of people close to him in the same place.
“I’ll have a bunch of old teammates from travel teams there,” Demers said.
For moments Saturday the afternoon, they’ll be current teammates. Each of the 12 team has a card that they can give the umpire. When they do, Demers can be inserted into the batting order for one at bat.
“I’ll get my hacks in,” he promised. “It should be fun. I can’t wait.”
He said the memories what come from Saturday and knowing how much support he’s received, will carry him through the next round of treatement.
“It helps me keep going,” he said. “It gives me the drive to keep going.”
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com.