NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – Teams affiliated with the Savannah Bananas put down the bats and gloves and picked up a hammer and drill Friday, to help build a playset for a local child battling cancer. 

The Firefighters and Party Animals partnered with the Roc Solid Foundation, a Chesapeake-based nonprofit that focuses on building playsets for kids fighting cancer. 

“A lot of times when kids are diagnosed with cancer, their immune system doesn’t let them go out and play on public playsets, said Riley Taylor with Roc Solid. “So, the first thing cancer takes away is play. Our mission is to bring play back to the children right on their very own backyard.” 

Players with both teams worked to build a playset for Fisher Blankenship, a nearly 1-year-old Chesapeake boy battling cancer. 

“Fisher is one that’s local, right here in Hampton Roads,” said Taylor. “So when we get to build for a kiddo right here, close to home, it really is special to our hearts”

“Everybody ends up benefiting from it, but it’s something that we love doing, we’re excited about, and we know that when it’s time for them to get out and have a ton of fun, it’s because of this,” said Party Animals pitcher Bret Helton.

Helton mentioned it was his birthday, and said there’s nowhere else he’d rather be to celebrate.

“This is perfect, we get to play ball, I get to be around my friends, and we can do something cool like this,” said Helton. All the memories that we had on playsets and being outside with your friends in the neighborhood, you can kinda sit there and think they’re gonna get to enjoy something really similar that they might not have gotten before, and we were a part of it.” 

The Blankenship family arrived at Harbor Park in a limousine for the big reveal. 

“It’s just a fantastic thing for the kids and it gives them and us a glimmer of hope during this situation. Just very thankful,” said Fisher’s father Jacob Blankenship. “To other families, just know you’re not alone. It’s an incredibly long journey, but what I can say is rely on Roc Solid and other cancer foundations. They make things so much easier during this process.”

The playset is now being taken to the Blankenship’s home, for Fisher and his older brother Noah to enjoy.