Submitted photo Ashlyn Clark, a recently-graduated senior at Humboldt High School, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma earlier this month.

The Fort Dodge and St. Edmond baseball and softball programs will come together on one special night in support of Ashlyn Clark.

Clark, a senior at Humboldt, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma in May. The Wildcats have scheduled a special “Ashlyn’s Night at the Ballpark” in Humboldt for June 27, but the Dodgers and Gaels wanted to get in on the cause before that.

Enter Gael all-stater Jocy Timmerman, FDSH head coach Andi Adams and a host of others, who have initiated a collective effort set for Rogers Park and Ed McNeil Field on Monday, June 10.

Fort Dodge will host Marshalltown and St. Edmond welcomes Hampton-Dumont that evening. The four teams will be wearing special “Clark Strong” t-shirts during warmups made by Dodger teacher and coach Dan Adams.

“I’ve played against Ashlyn in several sports for several years and I just felt this need to help them out,” Timmerman said. “When you play against one another, you develop this bond and respect. And when something like this happens, you feel a responsibility to do something.”

Timmerman contacted Andi Adams and the “chain reaction” to jump on board followed with SEHS head softball coach Nick Clark, Gael head baseball coach Mike Szalat and FDSH head baseball coach Blake Utley.

“Jocy emailed me and wanted to combine forces,” Adams said. “I just smiled when I read that because how cool is it for a kid to take the initiative and want to do that. That takes guts and heart.

“Along with the coaches, Chrissy Tjebben, Tammy Alstott, Josephine Alstott, Chris Timmerman and Dan Adams have all been so instrumental in getting all of this lined up and planned for the night.”

There will be free-will offering tables at each diamond at Rogers Park and one at McNeil Field, with Humboldt community members planning on helping with the event.

“It just kind of took off,” Chris Timmerman said. “Geoff Engels is donating a custom poster with Ashlyn’s motto on it, we’ve had Humboldt families offering to come down and assist us with it all.

“It’s just a great opportunity to share and support the family.”

Adams echoed those thoughts, adding, “This is what I love about Fort Dodge and this area. This family would have done the exact same thing for any of our kids without question and that is what is so special to me.

“This is why you want to stay in Fort Dodge. It is a community that sticks together with the surrounding communities. It just makes my heart so happy for what this has become.”

Clark, the daughter of Derrik and Kristi Clark, has committed to play volleyball at Iowa Central. She returned to the Humboldt lineup this past Friday night.