Local baseball player launches cancer fundraiser WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — A Westfield High School baseball player is stepping up to the plate for a cause far bigger than the game. Westfield High School junior Lincoln Hoffman has launched a fundraiser inspired by his younger sister, Londyn, a two-time cancer survivor. On the baseball field, pressure is part of the game, but for Hoffman, the toughest moments didn’t come under the lights, they came at home. “Londyn is a two-time cancer survivor,” Hoffman said. “She’s my why. She’s my everything. I do everything for her.” Hoffman says his motivation comes from watching Londyn battle a rare form of cancer, who was first diagnosed when she was just six years old. “We kind of felt something was off, and then got hit with that train, that C-word we don’t like using in the house anymore,” Hoffman said. “Big emotions came from us. Obviously, we knew it was going to be a fight, but we knew Londyn was going to get it done. There was a lot of faith in that.” That faith was tested and strengthened through hospital stays, long nights, and the overwhelming support of the Westfield community. “It was hard to focus on school,” Hoffman said. “My parents were going back and forth to the hospital. All the people who dropped off food — the community here in Westfield is amazing.” Londyn received care at Riley Children’s Health, where Hoffman says doctors and nurses became part of the family’s journey. When Londyn entered remission for the second time, the moment was unforgettable. “There was a big flow of emotions after all we went through,” Hoffman said. “When she rang the bell, I got chills. I wasn’t even there. I saw the video and thought, ‘She really did it.’ Londyn’s fight wasn’t about home runs or headlines, it was about hope. Something Hoffman witnessed every day. “Seeing her go through treatment at Riley really motivated me to do something else,” Hoffman said. “I just wanted to see if I could make it better.” That motivation turned into action. Hoffman launched a fundraiser called “Play for the Ones Who Can’t,” a mission he carries with him onto the field. The phrase is stitched onto his baseball glove, a reminder every time he waits to be called into a game. “Some kids can’t do what me and my teammates are doing,” Hoffman said. “I just want to do it for them.” Within just a few days of launching, Hoffman’s fundraiser raised nearly $6,000 for cancer research. “She literally defies the impossible,” Hoffman said. “I don’t know how she does it. She’s rarely sad. That’s a lesson we can all learn.” For Hoffman, every swing is for his sister and for every child still fighting. The game taught him how to compete. Life taught him why. More on Lincoln Hoffman’s story:Hoffman will be featured on an upcoming episode of Chasing the Game with Phil Sanchez podcast, debuting next week. ...read more read less