What is the Spirit of Tennessee Volunteers?

Answer: Stepping up to answer the call whenever needed.

Started with some of the football players going to have lunch with this bullied child after Skylar McBee reaches out, and has now spread nationwide.







Seems Trey Smith, John Kelly, Tyler Byrd, Carlin Fils-aime, Guarantano, Jordan Murphy and probably others are going to have lunch with him on Tuesday.

National figures take notice, and awesomeness ensues:

 

Have they painted the Rock for Keaton yet? I know I saw some folks calling for it. That would be awesome if it happened.

 

I saw where Sean Salisbury offered to take him to the OSU-USC bowl game. Dale Jr. is tweeting about it too. I bet the kids that caused this are flipping out right now.

 

Go Fund Me page set up for him as well. Already at $32k in one day.

https://www.gofundme.com/stand-up-for-keaton

 

Season record be damned, I can't remember a time that I've been more proud of UT athletes.

 

Had a hard time watching the video. Keaton is going to need a manager to handle his logistics.

 

Impressive. Speaks very highly of everyone involved. Very nice to see that from Guarantano.

Skylar McBee was a class act and I had almost forgotten about him.

 

Hats off to our players and the rest that are helping this kid!

 

32,000 dollars? That seems a little ridiculous. Do something with your time/money to stop bullying instead.

 

That video breaks my heart, but what a response by so many people. I will look at Guarantano a little differently now.

 

Anybody here remember the Jaden kid from VN that we all got together and voted for to win a trip to Neyland a few years ago? I wonder whatever became of him.

 

Neat

 

there's no telling what he and his family have had to endure, not including medical costs. He appears to have had multiple cleft palate surgeries, which require a specialist. Also appears to have had cranial stenosis. If you ever see a little kid wearing a helmet, they most likely have had a coronal incision and their skull broken up to give their brains space to grow. Basically, no soft spot. This requires neuro and plastic surgery together at a childrens hospital. I'm up for whatever good can happen to the family.

 

If that’s true then I don’t have a problem with it. I just hope people don’t just feel good about themselves after heaping help onto this one kid and forget that it’s an ongoing issue for thousands of others.

 

I’m sure this seemed less stupid when you were typing it.

 

Not to rain on this parade but that wasn't Skylar McBee's account. But carry on otherwise!

 

Not really but if he has medical issues then I am glad he got it. Did not know that that was his situation.

We've talked about bullying on here before and I seem to remember people saying it's not that big of a problem, and that people need to grow up and be tough. That's ridiculous. It is everywhere. Kids get treated like dirt by their peers. And that'snot surprising because their parents treat each other like dirt on the internet. I am very happy for the outpouring of support for the kid, but hopefully this mobilizes real change instead of just making people feel good about themselves for helping one single case.

I am not at all minimizing the kids pain. I just hope people realize that it isn't an isolated case, and that it is a real problem. Giving money to one kid doesn't do anything to address that and isn't what his message was about.