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This weekend is the second annual Blessings from Bradley birthday party/ toy drive. According to Michelle Scarborough, the creator of Blessings from Bradley, this annual event was created to celebrate the memory of her grandson, Bradley Kennedy, who was a compassionate child with a heart of gold.

This Saturday marks what would’ve been Kennedy’s ninth birthday.

Kennedy was seven-years-old when he passed tragically in December 2020 following an ATV accident. The family not only uses this day to remember his life but also as a way to honor the giving spirit the young boy emulated during his life.

The celebration, completed with free cake, party favors and balloons, allows the community celebrate Kennedy and to donate money and toys — all of which goes toward giving and buying Christmas presents for children in need.

Along with free party favors, there will be Balloons by Bubble Lee Balloon Art, free rock painting, free face painting and food trucks B’s Backyard Bistro, Sparkles Cookies and Hawaiian Shaved Ice onsite.

“As a grandmother, my goal is to let everybody know what a blessing Bradley was,” Scarborough said. “Bradley was loving, giving, caring, kind — just the sweetest little boy that you could have ever met.”

According to Scarborough, all proceeds go toward buying Christmas gifts for children in need because Christmas was Kennedy’s favorite holiday.

Scarborough said the first year after Bradley passed she wanted to throw away everything she that had to do with Christmas out the door and never celebrate it again.

Come September of that year, the first birthday without Kennedy, she decided instead of sitting being depressed she wanted to do more to honor him.

“I felt like God laid it on my heart to do the biggest and the best celebration for Bradley that we possibly could,” Scarborough said. “That’s when we started our first annual Blessings from Bradley last year to give back to our community in Bradley’s honor.”

In putting on the birthday party for Kennedy, it helps her and his family cope with the loss, she said.

“We’re celebrating him, and he is honoring other children,” Scarborough said. “Everybody is getting to know how special our Bradley was.”

During the first annual Blessings from Bradley, the family was able to provide full Christmases for 18 families. This year, the family hopes to raise enough to continue to bless as many people as they can.

“If the Lord allows us to bless one child, then it was well worth it. If he allows us to bless 28 children, it was well worth it,” Scarborough said. “I just want it to be a blessing for the community. I want Bradley to just continue to give and for everybody to know who he was.”

Along with taking monetary donations and toy donations, they will be selling raffle tickets for various baskets, according to Scarborough.

One raffle will be for a Yeti cooler and for $10 a ticket. The other baskets include a fishing basket, a basket filled with Burt’s and Bees products baskets for a young girl and boy and baskets for men and women.

“They’re going to be $5 per ticket or $20 for five tickets,” Scarborough said. “All proceeds of anything we raise, whether it’s raffle, toy donations, every penny goes toward buying a child Christmas.”

Blessings for Bradley will take place on Saturday at Southbend Park at 12 p.m. — 2 p.m.