Community rallies together to throw birthday party for boy

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – When Trey Thomas heard about the 7-year-old boy who tragically lost his mother, he thought about his own son.

“I got to thinking, you know, what if this was my son, you know, I would want the community to rally around him and at the very least, at the end of the day, when all the dust settles lets give him a good birthday,” Thomas said.

He said the boy was supposed to have a birthday party, but that changed when tragedy struck the family.

Authorities said over the weekend the boy’s mother was fatally shot by her husband, and the 7-year-old was a witness.

Now, Thomas is bringing the community together to give the boy a birthday party.

“Lets knock his socks off with something that’s, you know, unbelievably good for him after he’s had the darkest hour of his life,” Thomas said.

He posted the idea online to throw a party for the boy, and the community has responded with support.

“When I heard about everything going on, it just really broke my heart, and it’s been weighing heavy on my heart every since I heard about it and whenever Trey sparked the idea to throw a party for him since he was on the way to the party when the tragedy happened, I thought, I have to help,” Catie Stout said.

They’re planning to throw the boy’s party this Saturday at Veterans Park in Soddy Daisy.

Stout is helping organize the party.

She said there’s been an outpouring from the community to help put the party on.

“So many people have been contacting us. Vendors, all sorts of vendors, we’ve got bouncy houses, snow cones, face painting. All kinds of fun things. There have been food donations from so many places in the community,” Stout said.

And, it’s all for the young boy.

“Let him realize that even in his darkest hour that there are people who love you that people are gonna take care of you that you have a whole community. Not just your aunt, not just your grandmother on either side of the family the whole community is willing to wrap our arms around you and invite you in,” Thomas said.

The public is invited to the party.

They hope lots of kids will show up.

The party starts at six.