PENDLETON — Small towns in Eastern Oregon tend to look out for one another when times are tough.

Pendleton is lending a helping hand to Greater Oregon League rival La Grande after finding out freshman Cade McKinley, the son of baseball coach Parker McKinley, was recently diagnosed with cancer and is receiving treatment in Portland.

McKinley, a freshman, was a quarterback on the junior varsity football team. He also wrestles and plays baseball for the Tigers.

The Pendleton baseball team is sporting “McKinley Strong 25” decals on their batting helmets, and also has car decals with the same design to give to the La Grande baseball program. McKinley’s baseball uniform number is 25.

Creative Signs, Screen Printing and Embroidery in Pendleton, created and donated the 100 helmet and 100 car decals. Owner Cindy Jennings said the business was more than happy to help.

“Something like this, we want to jump behind kids and kids’ causes,” she said. “It’s something we want to be part of.”

A group put together a sketch of the design they wanted, and Creative Signs graphic designer Arthur Crews brought it to life.

“Micki (Zander) reached out to me, she knows we can do this stuff,” Jennings said. “With things like this, you just grab your friends and go. That’s what makes this a good community.”

The Bucks will host the Tigers on Friday, May 10, and there will be a table set up for donations for the McKinley family, and there will be four dozen cupcakes, made by Jamie Kyle, for sale with the proceeds going to the family.

Creative Signs also made shirts for the Pendleton softball team to wear in their home game against La Grande on May 10.

The Bucks aren’t the only ones showing their support for the McKinley family.

The Baker/Powder Valley baseball and softball teams arrived in La Grande for Greater Oregon League games April 26, wearing apparel in support of McKinley.

The baseball team had blue T-shirts, while the softball team wore its pink and black breast cancer awareness uniforms.

The La Grande community also has come together with blue bracelets available for people to pick up to show support for the McKinley family.

Family friend Amaya Adkins had the idea for the bracelets and ordered 2,000 of them. They are available at Fitzgerald Flowers and at Island Express Lube & Car Wash.

“When we found out Cade’s diagnosis, I asked if it would be OK to make them,” Adkins said. “We have made 6,000 so far. I have mailed all over — to Burns, people who have reached out, and the Philomath baseball team.”

The bracelets are blue with a tiger head, a baseball, and a wrestling icon.

“We want everyone to have one,” said Beckah Sexton, who works at the flower shop. “If they are for a team, they can just give us a call ahead of time and we can have them set aside.”

While Adkins bought the first batch of bracelets, Fitzgerald Flowers co-owner Julie Bodfish bought the second batch of 2,000, and Kevin Loveland, of Loveland Funeral Chapel, bought the last set.

McKinley family friend Geoffrey Robinson said a fundraising effort is in the works, and will release information when they have a plan in place.