Local athletes will have the rare opportunity to compete in a Wiffle Ball tournament on Oct. 23.

The inaugural Swing Away at FA event raises dollars for Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare progressive neuromuscular disease that has affected a local 7-year-old girl.

Hannah Stacks was diagnosed with the genetic illness a year ago.

Her mother, Candy Stacks, said Hannah “will be left wheelchair-bound within 10 years and will lose the ability to write and speak unless a cure is found.”

The goal of the Wiffle Ball tournament is to raise money for a cure.

All proceeds go to the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance.

According to its Web site, it is a “non-profit organization dedicated to curing Friedreich’s Ataxia through research.”

Stacks said she’s “hoping for a cure. We’ve got to do what we can to raise money. We’re continuing to push, in hopes we can beat this thing in the next few years.”

The fundraiser is scheduled for noon Oct. 23 at Cabin Fever Farm, 1174 Grizzle Road in Dawsonville.

There will also be a silent auction, inflatables, fire trucks and activities for all ages.

General admission is $10. It costs $25 per player to compete in the tournament.

To register, e-mail thestacksfamily@hotmail.com or call (770) 235-0882.

For more information about the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance, visit www.curefa.org.