As Choctawhatchee and Fort Walton Beach high schools prepare for their Oct. 9 rivalry game, organizers are asking fans on both sides of town to set the rivalry aside and support Fort Walton Beach High School Head Football Coach Josh Pulliam and his family.

• Pulliam, a Choctawhatchee alumnus who now leads the Vikings, was recently diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. He shared the news with Get The Coast last week and said he plans to stay on the Vikings’ sideline for as long as his health allows.

The fundraiser, organized by Drew Espy, is selling $30 shirts that pair the Choctawhatchee and Fort Walton Beach mascots under the words “Two Sides One Town” and “Together for Coach Pulliam.” All proceeds will go directly to Pulliam.

“This week, we want to put the rivalry aside and come together as one community to support Coach Pulliam and his family,” Espy wrote in a post announcing the effort. “Whether you’re a Choctaw Indian or a Fort Walton Beach Viking, let’s rally around one of our own and show him how much this community cares.”

Shirts are available in adult and kids sizes. To order, buyers should send the total for their shirts to Espy on Venmo at @Drew-Espy and list their sizes in the payment note. You can set the transaction to private.

Orders must be in by Oct. 4.

Espy said the goal is to raise as much money as possible to help the Pulliam family with medical expenses, travel, treatment and other needs.

Donations can also be made directly to Pulliam through Venmo at @TeamCoachP. That account is separate from the shirt orders, which go through Espy.

“Let’s show Coach Pulliam that he’s not fighting this battle alone,” Espy wrote.

Organizers are also asking community members to share the fundraiser and help spread the word before the order deadline.