Thunder Auction Autographed Ball for 2-Year-Old Cancer Patient

Oklahoma City players autographed a ball that is set to be auctioned to benefit a Chickasha child with cancer.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 11:44 am

By: News On 6

Thunder Auction Autographed Ball for 2-Year-Old Cancer Patient

Originally Published: May 17, 2010 9:42 PM CDT

Rusty Surette
Oklahoma Sports Special Contributor

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A basketball autographed by Oklahoma City Thunder players will be auctioned off, and proceeds will benefit a two year old Oklahoma Chickasha girl with cancer.

The ball was signed during the team’s first NBA basketball playoff series, and will be auctioned on eBay, starting May 13th for 10 days.

ALL proceeds from this auction will go to www.ladybughugs.org, a benefit fund for Audri King. Two-year old Audri was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. She has already been through several rounds of chemotherapy at OU Children's Hospital and will continue treatment for a year.

Ladybughugs.org was established as a way to share Audri's story, generate prayer and support, raise childhood cancer awareness, and obtain contributions to assist the family during this difficult time. Several fundraising events have been held for Audri, including "Bald is Beautiful" night, t-shirt sales, a softball tournament, a variety of food sales and several concerts in the coming weeks. The Thunder ball is the next fundraiser.

"We hope people realize how special this ball is." said Daniel Byard, Director of ladybughugs.org. "This was the first NBA playoff team in Oklahoma history, and the proceeds will go to a very special little girl." The winning bid will not only receive a piece of history but help out a great cause.

The auction will end on May 23rd at 9:00 p.m. CDT.

For more information on the auction, please contact Daniel Byard at Ladybughugs.org or 405-830-9796.