For many children, a birthday means cake, friends, and a growing pile of presents. For Cooper and Claire Smith, it also means helping families affected by ALS.
For eight years, the Smith siblings have turned their birthdays into a Lou’s Crew fundraiser for the Live Like Lou Foundation in memory of their grandfather, Doug, whom they never had the opportunity to meet. Lou’s Crew is a Live Like Lou fundraising program that challenges participants to raise $444 for ALS and complete an athletic activity of their choice. This year, Claire turned eight and Cooper turned five, marking another year of a tradition that began with Claire’s very first birthday.
Through Claire’s artwork, Cooper’s athletic challenges, and neighborhood lemonade stands, the family has raised more than $58,000 to support Live Like Lou in supporting ALS families.
Their tradition began with Claire’s first birthday.
Matthew Smith’s father was diagnosed with ALS about 11 years ago. An only child, Matthew became his father’s caregiver as the disease progressed. The diagnosis reshaped the family’s plans, including Matthew and Susan’s wedding timeline. After seven years of dating, they planned a wedding in seven weeks so Doug could be there.
“He made it to both,” Matthew said of their weddings. Doug lived for nearly two years after doctors initially told the family he might have three to six months. He died two months before Claire was born.
Susan said she has always felt a connection between Doug and Claire because they were “entering and leaving the world around the same time.” When Claire was born, the family looked for a meaningful way to honor Doug while also instilling an important value in their daughter: generosity.
For Claire’s first birthday, they invited close friends and family members to donate to Live Like Lou in place of a gift. The fundraiser went well, and the Smiths decided to make it an annual tradition.
The next year, Claire began making artwork to thank donors. The family included each donor’s name and hometown with a piece of art, then delivered the collection to a family affected by ALS. What began as a simple birthday fundraiser became a personal way to bring joy to others while raising awareness and support for the ALS community.
“We wanted to have something tangible,” Susan said. “Not just give money.”
Claire’s artwork remains central to the annual fundraiser. This year, the family also plans to display some of her work at their local library, along with information about the fundraiser and Live Like Lou. Cooper joined the effort by putting his own spin on the tradition. While he was less interested in creating art, he found ways to contribute through athletic feats and activities that reflect his love of sports.
The family continues to find new ways to make the fundraiser their own. At birthday parties, Cooper and Claire invite guests to consider donating to Live Like Lou rather than bringing gifts. In the neighborhood, lemonade stands create opportunities for the children to explain that they are raising money to help people living with ALS.
For Matthew and Susan, the fundraiser is about more than dollars raised. It is a way to help their children understand service and the lasting impact of small acts of kindness.
“It gives us an avenue to teach kindness through service,” Matthew said. “We as parents have seen what Live Like Lou does, and we feel like that’s our best path to push that to.”
The lessons are taking root. As Claire has grown older, she has taken more ownership of the fundraiser. Last summer, she asked to get a head start on creating artwork. When her parents asked why birthday gifts are replaced by donations, she understood: “It’s because we do my fundraiser to help people.”
Cooper and Claire also see the impact of their support beyond their own birthday celebrations. At least once a year, the family joins members of the University of Georgia’s Phi Delta Theta chapter to serve local families affected by ALS. Those experiences help the children connect the fundraising effort to the people it supports.
That service is especially meaningful to Matthew, who first became connected to Live Like Lou through the Foundation’s partnership with Phi Delta Theta. Over the years, he and Susan have helped connect fraternity members with families in the Athens, Georgia, area. They have watched students put up Christmas lights, organize activities, and build lasting relationships with families navigating ALS.
The Smiths do not seek recognition for their annual fundraiser. Instead, they hope Cooper and Claire will one day understand the difference they have made, and the legacy they carry forward for a grandfather they know through stories, service, and love.
“I want our kids to know one day that they did this,” Matthew said. “His memory’s not dying of ALS. His memory is [that] his grandkids are able to give in a community that he saw and faced.”
For Cooper and Claire, each birthday is an opportunity to celebrate. It is also a reminder that kindness can become a tradition, and that even the youngest supporters can help Live Like Lou’s mission live on.
You can join Cooper and Claire in the fight against ALS by starting your own Lou’s Crew fundraiser for Live Like Lou. Raise $444 and complete an athletic activity of your choice to become a member of Lou’s Crew. You can also follow Cooper and Claire’s annual journey here on Facebook to see how they’re using their birthdays to give back and make a difference for families affected by ALS.
