COBB COUNTY - At 36, Greg Evans is facing the unimaginable.

Just a few short weeks ago, Evans, a lawyer in Mableton, was having stomach pains. He saw his doctor, and on Feb. 1 had a colonoscopy. Within 24 hours he was in surgery, where doctors removed a 12-inch piece of his large intestine.

And there was more grim news. Evans, a father of three young children, has stage 4 colon cancer, and the cancer has spread to his liver.

But one bright spot in what could be an overwhelmingly dark cloud is that Evans' classmates from Leadership Cobb 2010 have rallied around him and his family.

"I never get sick, ever. Something just told me I needed to get it checked, so I'm glad that I did," Evans said. "I have no history of cancer in my family. Apparently I've had this for years, but never had any symptoms, so I've been living with it without ever knowing that the cancer was growing and spreading."

Evans is to start his first round of chemotherapy this week. In the meantime, he has taken a leave of absence from his practice and spends most of his time at home, recovering from surgery and being with his family.

Evans' wife, Nadine, a lawyer at Alston & Bird in Atlanta, has been by his side for every procedure and test, while their three children, Sophia, 4, Gregory III, 3, and Isabella, 16 months, and a niece, McKenzie Perkins, give him constant attention.

But the Leadership Cobb class - whose members Evans didn't even know nine months ago - has also become family. Colorectal cancer is a cause close to the heart of Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott, who is a member of the class. Ott's father died of prostate cancer in 2008.

In honor of Evans, the class is hosting a 10K, but no running is involved. The 50 members of the class are aiming to each talk to 10 people about the disease, and raise $20 from each, for a total of $10,000, which they will donate toward Evans' staggering medical bills. They hope to raise the money by March 31.

They call it the "LC 10K: Band Together for Team Greg," and have created a Web site at www.lc10k.org and a poster campaign with the slogan "What's Up Your Butt?" March just so happens to be National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

"I think we need to stop this idea that having a colonoscopy is just something you don't talk about. I had one this morning, and have one every five years. Colon cancer is one of those things that can be treatable if caught early, but if it's not, it can spread," Ott said. "Leadership Cobb is like a big family, so it only seemed natural to do what we could to come together and help Greg and his family, while also raising awareness about the cancer and telling everyone that anyone can get it, male or female. Don't be ashamed to be proactive."

Evans, a native of east Texas, has lived in Cobb since 2004.

"My circle of friends is relatively small because I work so much, but you would think I had known these people my whole life instead of since this past summer," Evans said.

"Every single person has reached out in some way. Some come to joke and hang out, some send supportive materials or just get me slippers to wear to my appointments. It's insane how much they've helped, and of course I wish I was on the other side, being there as a support system instead being the one receiving the support. But I'm lucky in many ways because had this happened last year, without knowing them, things would have been a lot different," he said.

Greg and Nadine met when they were set up by mutual friends as college students in New York.

"We knew each other for a while, but when I was in law school at Vanderbilt and he was in law school at Cornell, we went to a formal together and I just felt more connected to him than I've ever felt in my life," Nadine said.

They were married on Feb. 9, 2002.

"The best case scenario is that we wake up tomorrow and Greg's cancer has gone away and we go back to the lives we had before. But I know that probably won't happen, so it is nice to have people who sincerely love and care about your husband," Nadine said of the Leadership Cobb family.

Mazi Mazloom, a Marietta lawyer who is also part of the class, said he wants to do anything he can to help Evans and his family.

"He's in good spirits, and really is much the same guy he's always been. I can tell it wears on him at times, but he's still such a great guy and friend," Mazloom said.

And that is comforting to the Evanses.

"If I could say anything to the Leadership Cobb class, it would simply be that I love you and thank you. I get choked up just thinking about all they have done for me and my family," Evans said. "To everyone else, I would just say to not ignore even the smallest of aches and pains. Don't be afraid to get a check-up, especially if you even have a slight thought that something's wrong. If my stomach pains had stopped hurting, I honestly probably would never have gone to the doctor."