Local basketball team makes donation in honor of fallen player

LEXINGTON, Tenn. —  Friday evening, a Lexington High School sports team honors the life of a fallen fellow team member who they say won’t be soon forgotten.

He was a really good kid, but not only a good kid… he was a kid that had an impact on everybody that he met,” said boys basketball coach Keith Runyon.

Tyler Spann who was a rising sophomore, drowned while swimming last summer.
“We’ll be recognizing them, giving them a donation and a basketball that was personalized just for the family… so it was a very special night for Lexington High School,” said Coach Runyon.

The Lexington Tiger’s gym was flooded with red shirts in Tyler’s honor.

“‘Big smile, big heart’ is on the back of the shirts and I think those four words really show what Tyler was all about.”

“Everyone loved him because his heart was just so pure and open,” said Tyler’s mother Angela Spann.

The Spann family created a charity in their son’s honor called, “The Tyler Spann Foundation.”

“They do work for educating people on swimming in open waters… just a great foundation,” said Coach Runyon.

Tyler’s family says one of the goals of the foundation is to ensure no other family goes through their same tragedy.

“We also plan to give swimming lessons to individuals,” said Spann.

The Spann family says their friends and neighbors have been a great support system over these past 6 months.

“The support of our community has been amazing and we are so appreciative to the love and kindness of Lexington,” said Spann.

The Tyler Spann Foundation will award two of his classmates a scholarship on the year they graduate.

Lexington High School donated $500 to the Tyler Spann Foundation.