Cavs Pull Together to Help Fox Fight Hodgkins

March 24, 2008

UVa-Wise asst. coach Josh Scarbrough, Billy Fox, pitching coach Doug Bates and head coach Hank Banner

Fellow Cavs' sophomores Seth Radcliff and Brad Austin have led the drive for the Billy Fox Hodgkins wristbands.

Wise, Va. – When collegiate athletes are away from home, the student-athlete’s ‘family’ is their coaches and teammates. The University of Virginia’s College at Wise baseball ‘family’ is pulling together to help one of its fallen members, sophomore Billy Fox, who recently was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The Highland Cavaliers are teaming up to sell purple Hodgkins Lymphoma wristbands. The wristbands have a baseball Billy Fox #19 and a cross on one side and Hodgkins Lymphoma on the other side for $5 with 100% of the profits to go to Fox and his family to help with his medical costs.

The wristbands will be sold at each UVa-Wise home baseball game starting with the inaugural Night Game next Wednesday, March 26 th at 6:30 p.m. against Virginia Intermont. They can also be purchased from the Cavs’ baseball office and ordered through the mail at the same price.

“The whole team has been very supportive and opptimistic for Billy,” said UVa-Wise head coach Hank Banner.

Fox found a lump in his neck last summer but did not think much of it. The outfielder, who is in great physical shape, did not experience any symptoms to give any clue to what the lump would become.

The events leading to the revelation of the Hodgkins for Fox happened very quickly. He felt fine until stetching for a practice in January. The sophomore felt a level of discomfort from the lump and decided to head to the doctor to have it checked out.

Fox went to a local doctor before the Cavs’ season opening road trip to Emmanuel (Ga.) College, over the February 8-9 weekend. He received a call while on the trip to have tests performed on the following Monday after returning from the opening series.

The second-year player went to three different doctors the next week. His mother, Kelly, came to Wise to accompany him to UVa-Wise’s next weekend series at Berry (Ga.) College on Feb. 15-16. Upon returning to Wise, Fox found out the Hodgkins diagnosis on the next Monday.

“The way Billy handled finding out with great mental toughness and a positive attitude he showed,” explained assistant coach Josh Scarbrough. “The character kid and the quality of person Billy is, the coaching staff is confident of his ability to beat this and be able to come back to college and the team fully recovered in the fall.”

Billy and his family had to withdraw for the rest of the spring semester to go back to the Chincoteague area to start his treatments. Before his departure, the coaching staff and team threw Fox a big going away party on Friday, Feb. 22 prior to heading out for the weekend Lindsey Wilson Classic.

All UVa-Wise fans, friends, alumni and anyone wishing to send their well wishes can relay their sentiments to:

Billy Fox
3553 Main St.
Chincoteague Island, Va. 23336