The Battling Cancer Series flag football tournament returns this Saturday to help a Suffolk firefighter whose wife has cancer.

This is the fourth year of the series, which started to help the same family. In the two intervening years it has benefited firefighters’ families in nearby cities.

The Suffolk Local 2801 International Association of Fire Fighters is organizing the event. Rainey Dail, who is helping to plan it, said it is open to the public, and admission is free.

Teams made up of firefighters from Suffolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News, Virginia Beach and regional Navy firefighters are scheduled to participate.

“It’s been wonderful,” Dail said. “It’s a really neat event.”

The firefighters are paying a fee to play, and proceeds from T-shirt sales and a concession stand will also go toward the family.

Play begins at 10 a.m. this Saturday, Nov. 15, at King’s Fork High School. There will be pool play in the morning followed by a single-elimination tournament. It should last until around 5 p.m., Dail said.

She praised King’s Fork High School and its athletic director and principal for their help in making the school’s facilities available.

“Randy Jessee has been instrumental in making sure we have the field and concessions available,” she said. “Dr. (Stenette) Byrd has been awesome. They have basically allowed us to use it each year. It’s been awesome. We could not have done it without them.”

Dail said she hopes the event keeps getting bigger and will be able to help more families.

The money will be given to the Jeff T. Messinger Memorial Fund, which will distribute it to the family.