“Go Gold” game in Savannah to honor local children battling cancer

Will Walker leads the football team onto the field last Friday. Photo courtesy Aimee Kennedy.

Spectators and football players at Savannah’s game against Cameron tonight will honor local children in both school districts who have or had cancer.

One of the children honored during the game will be 5th grader Will Walker of Savannah.

Aimee Kennedy, a friend of Will’s family said Will is a huge inspiration to a lot of people.

“He found out that he had sarcoma when he was in 3rd grade and went through intensive radiation treatment,” Kennedy said. “This year, just about a month ago, they came back with some tests and found out that it had returned. So they told the parents that he needed to have his arm amputated. So last Wednesday he had his arm amputated.”

Kennedy said the whole community has rallied around him.

“Will is a huge inspiration to all of us. It’s hard for me to even talk about it without getting teary eyed. He is incredible,” Kennedy said. “The night he came home from the hospital after having his arm amputated, we went to visit him and the smile on his face is always there. He’s a rock star. I think it’s given all the kids, especially high school kids, a lot of them were friends with Bradon Krull that had just passed away with cancer a couple months ago, so, for a lot of these boys, they look up to him. And I think when they’re having a bad day, they think of him and it makes them appreciate life so much more.”

Kennedy said Will plans to lead the team onto the field tonight. Kennedy adds they will be selling shirts at the game with all proceeds going to Camp Quality, a week-long summer camp for children diagnosed with cancer. Kennedy said there will be a short presentation during halftime at the game to honor six children battling cancer.

“We will be honoring three kids from Cameron and three kids from Savannah,” Kennedy said. “A couple kids are in remission, a couple kids are still battling. At the end of the little ceremony, we will also release two balloons in remembrance of the two kids that we’ve lost, one from Savannah and also one from Cameron, from childhood cancer.”

The game starts at 7 p.m. in Savannah.