OPELIKA  — The Valley Rams (3-2, 0-0) baseball team will travel to Opelika (1-8, 0-0) for a matchup against the Bulldogs on Thursday afternoon. This time at the gate, however, the ticket purchases will have a little more meaning.

All proceeds from the game will be donated to the Lee County United Way in honor of the recent tornado victims.

The idea came to Opelika head baseball coach Zach Blatt when he was approached by someone in the Bulldog community to use one game this week to raise money.

“We decided the Valley game would be perfect because it is close and Chambers County is next door,” Blatt said. “They probably know somebody who was affected by the events, so I think it  was a good opportunity to make some good out of it.”

Throughout the week, organizations within Opelika High School have been collecting items such as canned foods and water for the victims. The local headquarters have told the community that they have received a sufficient amount of items, and are continuing to look for money donations.

Valley High School also began collecting items immediately on Monday to send to victims. On Tuesday, the community sent two trucks full of donated goods to Lee County.

“I can’t imagine what some of the families are going through with that situation,” Blatt said. “It really does make baseball that much smaller because there are so many things that are important in life. For a disaster to come through like that, I can imagine that there’s a lot of hurt, a lot of pain, so this is the least that we can do. I was telling my guys that we have to continue praying for those families for comfort  in a difficult situation.”

Valley head baseball coach Patrick Shivers was contacted by Blatt about the sales decision on Wednesday and he was “all for it,” Blatt said.

The first pitch will be thrown at 5 p.m. EST. and 4 p.m. CST.

“Chambers County is right up the road, so I know they’ll bring in a good crowd and will be able to donate everything we earn to the victims down there in Beauregard,” Blatt said.