A young woman, Sandi Ward Williams, and her brother, Brad Ward, both Bainbridge residents, are battling cancer and the community is coming together to provide help and support.

Sandi, a registered nurse with Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Room, was first diagnosed with cancer about one year ago, and has been seeking treatment in Texas since last November. She has a 12-year-old son named Trae.

Sandi’s brother is Brad Ward, the human resources manager for Shaw Industries. He was diagnosed in July of this year with non-Hodgkins leukemia and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments. He and his wife Christy have two children, Ty, 15, and Gracen, 11.

A benefit prime rib dinner, sponsored on behalf of both Sandi and Brad, and hosted by First Baptist Church Upper Class/Adult Sunday School class, will be held this Saturday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. at South Wind Plantation. Tickets are available from Reeve’s Linen and Gifts, by calling (229) 246-2200, or from Leslie Brannen Miller, events coordinator for South Wind Plantation, (229) 248-2771. The cost is $50 per person.

Sandi’s co-workers at Memorial Hospital’s ER have set up a Facebook page in support of her battle and are planning a silent auction on her behalf for November.

They have also established a private account under the name “Sandi’s Smile” at a local bank. Persons wishing to make a donation are asked to contact Brittney Singleton at (229) 220-6908 or Beth Hollis at (229) 220-9783. Donations can also be mailed to P.O. Box 1762 Bainbridge, GA 39818. Those donation checks should be made out to “Sandi’s Smile.”