God’s plan was different than ours.  This is often the case.  Ask any parent who has lost a child and they will agree. 

We lost Aiden on 9/22/2021. 

There’s no way around the sorrow and sadness, but part of our grief journey and healing includes doing the things he loves and sharing stories about him. 

He is quite a character.  We speak of him in present tense despite his physical absence because he lives… just in Heaven.  We can feel his spirit around us every day.  His sweet, half crooked smile.  His southern accent.  His tight, never-let-you-go hugs.  His boldness.  His tenacity.  Even his temper.  We love it all.  And miss it all. 

 

The Beginning of Legacy27

In the days and weeks following Aiden’s death, family and friends encouraged us to start a football scholarship in his name.  These same people were willing to donate money to get it started.  We were right at the beginning of football season when he died.  Aiden only played in 2 games that season – the jamboree and the home opener, where he scored his 1st and 2nd touchdowns EVER!  As we discussed the possibility of creating this football scholarship, my husband and I felt that it didn’t capture all of Aiden.  While football is certainly an integral part of who Aiden is – using his #27 as part of Legacy27’s namesake – his life needed to represented and honored in a more holistic way. 

 

Aiden’s Life Priorities

Love God and know Jesus.

Love others.

Help others. 

Connect with nature.

Be brave and bold.

Live each day with purpose.

 

Our Priorities Reflect Aiden’s Heart

Legacy27 became an official 501(c)3 tax exempt organization on 2/22/2022, exactly 5 months after Aiden went to Heaven.   We planned to offer events throughout the year that celebrate Aiden by sharing the Gospel, showing love to each other and teaching others to do things Aiden loves.  This includes fishing, hunting, sports, and more!  We planned to create the football scholarship, as originally suggested by friends and family, as well as support many endeavors in our community. 

Before we became an official non-profit, God revealed to us in January 2022 that we needed to invite people to fish at our pond, where Aiden fished nearly every day.  Sometimes God shares His plans with us.  Specifically, we needed to invite Aiden’s friends, who he had invited many times to come fish with him, but they never got the chance.  Little by little, God whispered more details about what this should be.  God wanted it to be on Good Friday – which is the name for the day that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins. 

And so… our 1st Legacy27 event was on Friday 4/15/2022 at Aiden’s Pond on Good Friday and our Legacy27 Good Friday Fishing Tournament was born!  The event was even better than we could have dreamed! 

Since 4/15/2022, we have held true to our promises and goals.

  • We hosted our 2nd and 3rd Good Friday Fishing Tournament on 3/25/2023 and 3/29/2024, shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ, where 25 kids and adults were saved and we taught kids and teens how to fish.

  • Two of Aiden’s close friends started the 1st Legacy League Flag Football & Cheer Tournament on 9/25/2022 with the help of Kids Boost (non-profit) to honor the 1 year anniversary of Aiden going to heaven. We celebrated football that day and over 100 kids and adults competed together, showing great sportsmanship and love. Many of these kids had never met each other prior to that event.

  • We hosted the 2nd Legacy League Flag Football Tournament on 9/24/2023 and partnered with the Walnut Grove High School football team, where they allowed us to use their stadium to grow this event. Over 400 people attended, with 120+ kids competing. Student athletes from the football team and the girls flag football team volunteered their time to coach and referee. It was awesome!

  • We blessed 21 families in need during the holiday season in 2022 and 2023 with the help of the Youth Elementary School Administration. We provided Blessing Bags, affectionately named by the school as “Aiden Bags”, with gift cards, a Bible, books, candy, and a word of encouragement to share God’s love and the story of Jesus at Christmas.

  • And last but certainly not least, we awarded the 1st Legacy 27 Football scholarship in December 2023 to 1 deserving high school football player who graduated in 2024. Several amazing young men were nominated by their coaches who embody the same passion and spirit as Aiden. Our 2023 recipient was Drew Adams. We plan to award at least 1, maybe more than 1, scholarship in 2024.

Aiden’s passions and legacy have fueled a new purpose for us. One we believe God ordained before we took our 1st breath.

It is our hope that you will help our “new purpose” grow beyond Walton County and support these same endeavors as far as we can reach! So join us by supporting Legacy 27 and discover how your passions meet your purpose.