Smith died April 15 at a birthday party in Dadeville where a mass shooting killed four and injured 32. Smith had dreams of becoming a neonatal nurse, said Amy Jackson, Smith’s cousin.
“It’s something that was dear and near to my heart that I wanted to do from the time that I lost her,” Jackson said about putting together the scholarship fund.
The gala will be at 5 p.m. April 13 at the Betty Carol Graham Center in Alexander City. Tickets at $50, and formal attire is required.
For Jackson and the rest of the family, it has been hard to accept that Smith is gone.
“For the family, and I can speak for her mom because I talk to her daily two or three times a day, we’re kind of like living in the past. We’re living off memories,” Jackson said.
Jackson said she has paid a lot of visits to Smith’s grave to remember the girl who was “like a ray of sunshine.”
More: Previous Coverage ‘Life cut short’: Families of Dadeville shooting victims talk about loved ones lost
“You don’t want to let go,” Jackson said. “It still seems so surreal. It’s almost been a year, but if you just close your eyes and think about it, it seems like it just happened. It’s a heartbreak that you can’t come back from.”
Jackson is asking for donors and prayers for the victims’ friends and family.
“We need all hands on deck,” Jackson said.
Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser’s public safety reporter. She can be reached at agladden@gannett.com or on Twitter @gladlyalex.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Family of Dadeville victim to award scholarships to future nurses