A group of local firefighters will come together next Saturday to raise money for one of their own who is fighting cancer.

This will be the sixth installment of the “BCS: Battling Cancer Series” flag football tournament. It was started in 2011 as a fundraiser for a Suffolk firefighter whose wife had cancer.

This year, it will benefit a Portsmouth firefighter with breast cancer.

“It was just an awesome event and really was meant to be just a one-time thing, just coming together to help a brother’s family out,” Rainey Dail, who has helped coordinate the efforts, said about the original event back in 2011. “But it was so well received, we kept having it.”

Since then, local public safety workers have nominated their co-workers to receive support.

“It’s been someone different every year,” Dail said. “It’s never been that individual coming forward. It’s always one of their co-workers coming forward on their behalf.”

The person and their family get all the proceeds after the event’s costs are paid. The only requirement for a recipient is for that person’s department to participate in the tournament.

“This young lady is very deserving and has dedicated her life to the fire department,” Dail said of this year’s recipient.

Groups from Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News, Virginia Beach and Navy Regional will participate this year, said Brian Silvers, who is also working on the effort. Dail said she’s pretty sure Suffolk will be able to have a team, as well, but they’re focused on making sure they have enough volunteers for hosting duties first.

“We always have a team in there,” she said. “We haven’t ever won, but it’s not about that.”

The tournament is free watch, but donations will be accepted. A limited number of T-shirts will be sold, and concessions will also be sold.

The tournament will begin shortly after 9 a.m. Oct. 15 at Nansemond River Baptist Church, 2896 Bridge Road. Two fields will have action at the same time, and the tournament will continue until a champion emerges.

“We hope everybody comes out and supports the event,” Dail said.

The group has also been having spirit nights at the Harbour View Chick-fil-A to raise additional money for the effort.