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The Gilbert Fire and Rescue Department will square off with Mesa Fire in a softball game for charity that hits close to home.
The charity game will benefit Gabi McLenna, an 18-year-old Gilbert High School senior who was diagnosed with brain cancer in March. Gabi is the daughter of a Gilbert firefighter.
The game is just one part of the Team Emery Classic, a four-day, 24-team fall ball tournament for high school baseball teams at the Tempe Diablo Stadium complex, 2200 W. Alameda Drive, Tempe. The third-annual tournament also benefits Gabi.
Among the teams competing Sept. 15-18 are Gilbert High, Campo Verde, Highland, Perry and Williams Field, all located in Gilbert.
Saturday will include a celebration of Gabi. Gates will be opened to the public at 4:30 p.m. with the McLenna family being honored at 5:30 p.m.
In addition to the firefighter softball game, the night will also feature high-profile silent auction items, food trucks, a live DJ, and more.
The event is free, but an entry donation is highly encouraged. Donations also can be made online.
Team Emery was established in 2011, when fifth grader Emery Miller recognized the distress of being in the hospital during the holiday season.
Emery responded by collecting bears for the patients and their families. Eleven years later Team Emery has impacted more than 69,000 families and 16,000 foster children as efforts have expanded to 14 states and various community outreach projects and scholarships.
