LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. — Brady Gabbard was a football player for the Lawrenceburg High School Tigers in Indiana. In June, he was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer and died just weeks later on July 2. On Saturday, the community came together for a memorial that will raise funds for a scholarship in his name.
"Look around. He was a special kid that a lot of people grew to love over the years," said Whitney Settles, one of the event's organizers.
A large turnout at the event indicated how much of an impact Gabbard left behind, organizers said. The 14-year-old was honored at the memorial benefit that aimed to raise money to help other students in his honor.
"Do something to kind of continue his legacy with a scholarship," said Chastity Spinnati, another organizer of the memorial.
The group is hoping to raise $2,845 -- a number chosen specifically with Gabbard in mind.
"His baseball numbers and football numbers are 28, 45, and so the committee decided to put those together, and the goal is to raise that for three years, for the three years he would've finished high school," said Settles.
Organizers at the event described Gabbard as a passionate child on and off the field.
"Full of life, true athlete, true competitor and all-around good kid. The relationship he had with my daughter, for example, was more like a big brother," said Spinnati. "That's the kind of kid he was."
