A walk down Volunteer Landing will have a new meaning for Jarred Frazier this year.

Last fall, the University of Tennessee outfielder was thinking about his mother's ongoing, long fight with osteosarcoma.

Tonight, he has to rely on memory to honor his mom.

He and his teammates will take part in Light The Night Walk for the second consecutive year as part of their fundraising effort for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Lynn Frazier lost her battle with cancer last spring.

"It was a tough thing to go through," Frazier said. "I knew she was pretty bad off. For Christmas break when I went home, you could just tell she was in a lot of pain.

"I knew she was hurting, but I had no idea she was on the brink of death."

In the midst of his grief, Frazier had an entire team of Vols to lean on when he returned to Knoxville.

During his absence, players hung Frazier's jersey in the dugout for every game and printed the initials "MF" - for Mama Frazier - on their caps.

"You don't ever really think about something like that happening," Frazier said. "But my teammates pretty much called every day to show their support.

"Everything we do for the community is important, but this one in particular is really special because it hits so close to home with the Tennessee baseball family."

UT coach Todd Raleigh lost his oldest brother, John, to Hodgkin's disease. He at least had an idea what Frazier was going through.

"We had a tough season on a lot of fronts last year, but that certainly put a lot of things in perspective," Raleigh said. "Our kids were genuinely concerned for Jarred and a lot of them knew his mother.

"On a daily basis, guys were asking about him and showing their concern. It was tough."

The Vols and Lady Vols softball team are busy trying to raise $10,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Former pitcher Zane Stone, who's mother is a cancer survivor, was the instigator last year as UT surpassed a fundraising goal of $5,000.

This year, Frazier has taken a leadership role and even written a letter to UT fans and donors asking for their support.

Raleigh was the first person to chip in, donating $1,000.

"This is something I've been involved in a long time and I can't think of anybody that cancer doesn't affect," he said "To me, it's important for our kids to give back, and I'm not talking financially.

"There's a civic duty and there's a responsibility that comes with being a University of Tennessee baseball athlete and baseball player. There are some things you have to do to grow as a player and a person."

After participating in tonight's walk, Frazier and the rest of the Vols will begin their Orange and White World Series at 6 p.m. Friday at recently renovated Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The Vols will continue to accept donations for the fight against cancer during the entire Orange and White Series of seven games this fall.

"We want to continue doing this and it's such a really good cause," Raleigh said. "Our guys did a great job with it last year and I think we're all looking forward to the walk."

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My name is Jarred Frazier, I’m a senior outfielder on the University of Tennessee baseball team, and I want to thank you for taking a few moments to read about a cause that is very important to my teammates and me.

Last year, our team took an active role in fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through its Light The Night Walk. Cancer, in its many forms, has affected many members of the Tennessee baseball family, just like many of your families and countless other families throughout the world.

Many years ago, our head coach, Todd Raleigh, lost his oldest brother to Hodgkin’s disease. This past spring, I lost my mother, Lynn Frazier, after a long battle with osteosarcoma. I miss her very much and will never forget her.

Thanks to fundraising efforts such as Light The Night, not every cancer story has a sad ending. My former teammate Zane Stone—who was instrumental in our team’s association with the Light The Night Walk last fall—saw his mother weakened by acute leukemia when he was in high school. But thanks to the advances in research and treatment, Sheila Stone is now cancer-free and even through out the first pitch at a Tennessee baseball game last season!

Our team surpassed its $5,000 fundraising goal last fall and raised $6,125 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This year, we’ve set a more ambitious goal of $10,000. We’ve only got a few more days left.

I’m hoping that you’ll consider helping us meet our goal by visiting our team page on the Light The Night Web site: http://www.active.com/donate/ltnNashvi/UT_baseball_08

The site allows you to make a secure online donation toward our goal with your credit card. I’ve seen firsthand how passionate Tennessee fans are when it comes to supporting their teams, and I’m confident our fans will help us push closer to our $10,000 goal. Every little bit helps, whether it’s a donation of $100 or $5. And every penny goes directly to cancer research and prevention.

In addition to donating, we are also hopeful that you’ll join our entire team at Knoxville’s Volunteer Landing on Thursday, Oct. 2, for the Light The Night Walk. Light The Night is the nation’s night to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of patients battling blood cancers and to commemorate loved ones lost.

Thank you for your time. Thank you for being a Tennessee fan. Thank you for your generosity, and GO VOLS! I couldn’t be prouder to wear the Orange & White!

Jarred Frazier

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.