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Community Rallies Around Football Coach While He Battles Leukemia

COVINA (CBSLA)  --  A beloved local football coach has a new goal and this one is off the field -- fighting leukemia.

Lou Farrar is not going to be fighting it alone.

For the last four decades, he's done more than just coach football at Charter Oaks High School in Covina.

CBS2/KCAL9 reporter Lesley Marin explained how people rallied around and for Farrar.

"He's like the best coach you could ever ask for -- he's not just coaching football he's coaching life," says Evan Williams, the team's assistant coach and one of Farrar's former players.

Today, it was players -- past and present -- who got together to help Farrar fight his biggest battle. Coach Lou or Big Lou -- as many call him -- was recently diagnosed with leukemia.

The turnout was huge, and touched the coach greatly.

"I'm blown away," he says, "I didn't think there would be this kind of a turn out to tell you the truth. I don't know what to say."

Former players and current players were joined by community members and even Coach Lou's 6th grade teacher.

They got their cheeks swabbed in hopes of being a donor match for Lou who's in need of a stem cell transplant.

"I hope I am a match. I want to be able to help, along with my wife," said parent Danny Cavetano, "we're here to help and if we can do it, we're going to do it."

Only time will tell if Big Lou finds a match from among this crowd. For now the five-time winning California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) coach is fighting his battle with renewed hope and optimism -- thanks to his football family.

"I'm just amazed. Watching people walk around," Farrar says, "it was just -- wow. I'm just absolutely amazed.:

Today's swab drive won't just potentially help Coach Lou, it will help hundreds of people through "Be The Match," a national bone marrow donation program.

For more about "Be The Match," click here.

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