Clemson Guard Tanner Smith Gives Back

Clemson guard Tanner Smith’s dad has cancer, which results in multiple complications and frequent hospital stays.

When Tanner was in the fourth grade he had an assignment, “If I Had Three Wishes.” That is easy enough, right?

Tanner started with a kid staple, a dog. Since he had met his neighbor’s dog, he had been bugging his parents for a puppy.

His second wish was to play professional basketball. Again, this is no surprise for a kid who played football, baseball, and basketball.

His final wish was a little tougher. Nine-year-old Tanner Smith wanted to make kids with cancer laugh.

That Christmas, a Golden Retriever arrived at his house. This Christmas, Tanner Smith found himself on Clemson’s basketball team.

Smith was not finished. Two years later, as part of a sixth-grade project, Smith reaffirmed his desire

to help kids with cancer.

"I wanted to make sure my parents got the message," said Tanner.

So, the Smiths helped turned their son's dream into a reality. They created Tanner's Totes, a non-profit company, which gives a tote bag of goodies to preteens and teenagers battling cancer and other long-term ailments.

In seven years, the family has delivered more than 1,200 totes.

Read the whole story at ESPN.

Check out Tanner's Totes.

(AP Photo by Mary Ann Chastain and TannersTotes.com)