All Heart Gunner ~ A Beautiful Son ~ A Beautiful Mission

Susan EspirituOur Town Neighbors, Powell

A beautiful son, a beautiful family, a beautiful mission.

The beautiful son: Gunner Smith has been an inspiration to an untold number of people as he gallantly fought his battle with pediatric brain cancer. I remember Gunner playing sports with my grandsons, but the impact he made on players, fans and the community was not his athleticism but his tenacity as he continued to support his beloved Powell alma mater regardless of the physical challenges he faced during his journey.

The beautiful family: parents Brandon and Brittany Smith with sisters London and Gracelyn braved the heartache of the journey with Gunner as they demonstrated amazing faith with determination to create a positive legacy from their family heartache, and set an incredible example for the friends, family and strangers who felt connected to Gunner.

The beautiful mission: The All Heart Gunner Foundation was born from the motto and fighting mantra of Gunner Smith. As Brittany Smith says, “Gunner attacked his brain cancer with an ‘All Heart’ mentality.”  The Foundation provides financial assistance to families whose child has been diagnosed with brain cancer. This is a foundation that raises money for local children, and although all the money stays here in East Tennessee, they hope to eventually reach beyond our borders. The All Heart Gunner Foundation wants to help alleviate some financial burden so the family can put their time and attention on getting their child better. Smith wants everyone to remember, “No child can fight alone.”

The flagship fundraiser for the foundation in the All Heart Prom. This prom is for adults age 21 and over and will be held at Bridgewater Place in Knoxville on Saturday, April 22, from 7-11:30 p.m. There will be prom expectation. For more details and tickets: https://allheartgunner.com/allheart-prom

Susan Espiritu is the ultimate optimist who wants to share uplifting, entertaining stories from your communities and youth! Send them to susan@knoxtntoday.com

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