Alto, Ga. - The Easton Foundation announced Friday, that the annual Battle of the Heroes charity flag football game featuring local area first responders will be held on August 12th at Habersham Central’s Raider Stadium. Headlining this year’s event, the Easton Foundation will be honoring fallen Banks County first-responder Richie Alford, by dedicating the special halftime ceremonies in his honor for all Battle of the Heroes games to come.
Kickoff for the foundation’s 10th anniversary game presented by Life Church is set for 7:00 pm and will feature first responders from Habersham and Banks Counties taking on Hall County. Following the conclusion of the game, the Whitfield Funeral Home’s Fireworks Extravaganza will begin over the east side of the stadium. This year’s show features an estimated run time of more than 10 minutes and bigger fireworks than ever before. Admission to the game and the fireworks show is donation-only and all proceeds from the event benefit local community youth. Local-area vendors continue to be at the forefront of the event located around the stadium’s concourse. Last year, the rain-delayed event saw more than 30 vendors, nearly a thousand fans and the Band of Blue fill the stadium and more are expected this year.
Kathy Nicholson from My Country WCON will host the on-field ceremonies which will include the “Richie Alford Circle of Honor”, a special ceremony for all fallen first-responders in our community named after Banks County fallen first-responder Richie Alford who passed earlier this year after attempting to save a stranger’s life. Alford was heavily involved in the Battle of the Heroes and was seen by many within the community as a leader both in the line of duty and in his personal life. His family will be honored with a special presentation at halftime.
Easton Foundation President Casey Lizama had this to say about the event, “Richie was always the coach figure bringing a spark to the team, hyping everyone up and encouraging unity between both teams on the field and in the line of duty. He would give the shirt off his back for anyone and was one of the most genuine and caring people. We will continue to honor his legacy by treating each other with the utmost respect and being willing to go the extra mile to show how much we care for all of those in our community no matter the circumstance. We hope our entire community will show up to support our great vendors, local youth, first-responders and honor a man that served his community with kindness unlike any other.”
Local businesses and individuals within the community are encouraged to give to the foundation (501c3) through monetary sponsorships or gift-in-kind donations. Volunteers are also still needed for the event. Anyone looking to assist with this year's event can go to the foundation’s website eastonfdn.org and click how to help to learn more.
Photo Caption: Richie Alford speaks to players in the Easton Foundation’s Battle of the Heroes Game at John Larry Black Field.
The Easton Foundation 501 (c)(3) is based out of Habersham County, Georgia. After losing Easton Singleton, a beloved friend and teen to a car accident in 2012, the community rallied together to turn tragedy into triumph. The Easton Foundation was founded by Casey Lizama shortly after Easton’s passing in 2012 as a way to help other teens with pain and loss, and also encourage youth to connect with their community and become leaders. Each year the Easton Foundation not only provides assistance in times of need in the community, but also awards numerous scholarships to help teens in the northeast Georgia community pursue their dreams of higher education.