On December 27, 2007, Polk County Sheriff&squo;s Office Deputy Clayton Price discovered he has a major internal illness.

This illness has required two major surgical procedures, and two more are forthcoming.

Deputy Price has been unable to work since December 27 and has used up all of his sick, vacation, compensatory time.

All members of the Polk County Sheriff&squo;s Office have donated their maximum allotment of 25 compensatory hours to Deputy Price. Now the sheriff&squo;s office is asking for help from the community to help an officer in need.

In addition to medical expenses, Deputy Price has a wife and two children for whom he must provide.

The Polk County Sheriff&squo;s Office is hosting a softball tournament as a fundraiser for Deputy Price and his family. The softball tournament is scheduled for this Saturday, April 12 at 9 a.m. at the softball fields on the Polk County Middle School Campus.

The sheriff&squo;s office is asking all of the local emergency service agencies (fire, rescue, EMS, police) to form a team to compete in the tournament. Sheriff&squo;s officials request that each team raise $500 as an entry fee for the tournament.

Concessions will be sold at the tournament, and the sheriff&squo;s office is seeking donations of food, drinks and beverages. Donations will be accepted at the tournament as well.

Donations for the Price family can be mailed to the Polk County Sheriff&squo;s Office: P.O. Box 69, Columbus, N.C. 28722, Attn: Deputy Clay Price.

If you have any questions, please contact Lt. Nicholas Stott at the Polk County Sheriff&squo;s Office, (828) 894-3001.&bsp;