Walking up the path to Northridge “Ace Place” pro shop, sophomore Charlie Goins’ heart filled with emotion at the sight of pictures of a beloved child, Gayble Moss. Gayble died at the age of 7, in the Albert Pike flood of June 2010. The event not only shocked her family, but also affected the whole town of Texarkana and Gayble’s school, St. James Day School.
During Sept. 29-Oct. 1, the Moss family, with the help of Rusty Tarwater, set up a tennis and golf tournament in memory of Gayble. All the proceeds went to St. James Day School’s Gayble Moss Memorial Fund to create a scooter trail on the K-4 playground. The money also will go toward a sidewalk leading up to the administration building. The sidewalk will be made up of pennies because Gayble loved to pick up fallen pennies, calling them “pennies from heaven.”
“The final thing that the proceeds will go to is a scholarship in Gayble’s name,” mother Gaye Moss said. “This will be amazing because we can give the gift of education, which will last a lifetime.”
After the Friday matches, live music preformed by Josh Lawrence and Trey Johnson contributed a ballpark amount of $13,000 to $15,000 raised in total.
The tennis started Friday evening for adults continuing until the next morning when breakfast was served. Tennis for children started at noon and ended at 10 p.m. Emotion covered the golf course with pictures and facts about Gayble, and the support was shown when all the golfers wore blue, Gayble’s favorite color.
Charlie Goins helped run the tennis portion of the tournament, making sure that the scoring was fair and that no conflicts occurred. He also walked around the courts where the little kids played, helping the beginners play out points.
“It was really inspiring seeing all these kids come out and play for Gayble,” Goins said. “It was especially great to be a part of it. It was fun being able to help out the little kids too”
The T-shirt was designed by Rusty Tarwater; it’s blue tie-dye, Gayble’s favorite. The hippie-like child also loved peace signs, so the T-shirt was covered in them. Every time Gayble left a room, she would say “peace out,” flashing her peace sign up.
“It was amazing seeing all the love and support that came out for our little girl,” Gaye Moss said. “This made our family feel so loved by our community, and it was so great to get to honor her in such a great way.”
Everyone at the event felt the same way. The kids at the event left tired, with a hand full of trophies and T-shirts and with a head full of memories of Gayble.
“It was really special to see all the friends of the Moss family and students of St. James come out to play tennis for Gayble, especially since Gayble played at the Ace Place,” Goins said. “It was a great experience and great to be a part of.”
