LPJ Sports Staff
RUSTON, La. — Nearly 200 members of the Ruston and Lincoln Parish community gathered Friday morning at Cedar Creek school to pray for local student Lux Smith, a freshman football player who collapsed Monday morning at practice from heat exhaustion as posted on social media throughout the week.
According to multiple Facebook posts from friends and family, Smith has been transferred to Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, Ark., and is currently in critical condition.
Lincoln Parish School Board Superintendent Ricky Durrett was in attendance at the gathering and spoke briefly with the LPJ. He was unable to go into the specifics the Monday’s event.
“We are here to be supportive of Lux and his family– praying for them just like everybody else,” Durrett said. “We are praying for his doctors and that he will make a full recovery.”
Cedar Creek Girls Basketball Coach Katie Hall, whose daughter Kennedy read scripture and prayed, applauded the community for coming together as the crowd was a mix of students and faculty from area schools as well as business leaders and other parish residents.
“The community, whether you’re Cedar Creek, whether you’re Ruston High; just seeing them come together for this cause–it’s emotional,” Hall said. “People know in our community; when someone is hurting, we’re here. It just puts things into perspective, and makes me love being in Ruston, Louisiana. This is a place for a family, and I’m proud to be a part of it and raise my family here.”
