A special prayer service for Oak Mountain tennis sophomore Mark Newton will be held Sunday, April 19 at Meadow Brook Baptist Church, beginning at 6 p.m. Newton was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma March 19.

During the praise and worship service, Newton plans to give a speech. Other speakers will be Jim Dunnaway of CBS42 sports and former NBC13 morning anchor Wendy Garner.

One thing sure to be included in Newton’s speech will be words of good spirits and good humor as Newton anticipates his return to the tennis court.

“I kind of want to make a Tim Tebow speech like he did after Florida lost their first game this past year where he said, ‘You will not see any player work harder than I will over the next couple of months.’ When the doc gives the go ahead, I am hitting the courts first thing,” Newton wrote on his CaringBridge.org page Saturday.

Newton is calling on all of his “Prayer Warriors” to attend the service. He and others at the school have been selling yellow wristbands, similar to the LIVESTRONG bracelets by Lance Armstrong, that read “Mighty Warriors of Prayer.” The proceeds of the $1 per bracelet sales are going to the American Cancer Society.