Kaiden Garner project hosting an event to raise child abuse awareness in the Shoals

COLBERT COUNTY, Ala. (WAFF) - Kaiden Garner’s family is inviting the community to a cookout on Saturday in honor of the three-year-old who died in 2020 at the hands of his father and his father’s girlfriend.

”Let me look you guys in your eyes,” Leslie Garner said. “If you see something, say something.”

In 2020, Leslie Garner had to go through something most families never want to imagine. His grandson, 3-year-old Kaiden Garner, was beaten to death at the hands of his father and his father’s girlfriend. Garner said that there will only be justice for Kaiden when he can make sure no one else will have to suffer through this.

“It is a community problem,” Garner said.

Through their foundation, the Kaiden Garner Project, the Garner family is inviting the entire community to a cookout with them at McClain Homes.

He said he could not put together this event without the support of his community and the Decatur family who are donating in memory of their daughter, Asia Decatur, who died in 2020. Garner’s main focus with the Kaiden Garner Project is to look out for the children of his community.

He even said this event is for the children of the community. There will be free hotdogs, hamburgers, a blow up slide, games and prizes. But, the meaning behind the cookout will be much deeper.

“So what we’re trying to do is say look if you see something say something,” Garner urges. “I don’t know if that would save him but he would have had some help and wouldn’t have suffered the crucial way he died.”

He urges those listening to do better for the next generation. He wants to make light out of a terrible situation. He said no one should ever have to go through what his grandson did and he is here to make sure his community knows that.

“If we stay silent this is sure to happen again,” Garner said. “Child abuse doesn’t always kill physically like it did my grandson. Child abuse can kill you mentally and you still be standing up like a dead tree.”

Garner encouraged everyone to stop by the event. It will from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will be located on North Hook Street in Tuscumbia at the McClain Homes park. Garner said he and the Decatur family have more plans for the community in the future. as they will be trying to throw an event twice a month.

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