Muddy Balls, a local charity mud volleyball tournament, will take place at the Stanislaus County Fair starting at 8 a.m. Aug. 2, with all the proceedings benefitting 8-year-old Kaiden Pacheco, who was recently diagnosed with stage four Rhabdomyosarcoma.

Pacheco, who is a Hilmar native, is currently undergoing treatment at Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera.

Family friend and local charity supporter David Magina decided to assist the family in any way possible when he got the news. Quickly, Magina and friend Jerry Powell decided to put together the volleyball tournament in hopes that the funds could be helpful towards the Pacheco family.

“All proceeds go to the Pacheco family. It’s all volunteer work, nobody gets paid for it, and I build the volleyball pits myself,” said Magina. “Kaiden [Pacheco] is a strong girl, very tough and has needed over 40 treatments. I’m glad we can reach out and help them out.”

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a cancerous tumor of the muscles that are attached to the bones. It can occur in many places in the body. The most common sites are the structures of the head and neck, the urogenital tract, and the arms or legs.

The pre-registration for the tournament is this Saturday and the cost is $35 per person, with a minimum of nine people per team, including three women on the court at all times.

If you register on Saturday, a week prior to the event, the price will jump to $40. It costs $15 per person to participate in an open pit for those not participating in the tournament and just wish to play for fun in the same terrain.

A total of three games are guaranteed for each team throughout the day and food and beverages will be handed out as well.

“We’re anticipating about 400 to 500 people. Hoping for it. This year we might have 16 to 18 teams, more people are calling every day,” said Magina. “The more teams, the more we make and can donate. We have had a few donations from local businesses to help us out and many donators.”

For those who wish to spectate and not be part of the messy fun, free admission is given to the public.