Smith to keynote LAM banquet in Hallettsville

Amber Emily Smith will be the keynote speaker at the Lavaca Area Moms Inc. Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) graduation and drowning awareness banquet this Saturday, Aug. 10 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Hallettsville.

Tickets for the banquet, which includes dinner, are on sale now for $20 through the Lavaca Area Moms Inc. Facebook page.

Smith, the wife of Southern Baptist minister and singer-songwriter Granger Smith, is a Christian mom and entrepreneur. The couple’s life was profoundly impacted when their then-youngest son, River Kelly Smith, tragically passed away following a drowning incident at their home on June 6, 2019.

Through her grief, she created a ministry, Arise with Amber, to share her journey through grief and her faith. She aims to use her platform to provide hope and support to others experiencing lost. The River Kelly Fund has donated more than a half million dollars to charitable causes.

Amber Smith gave birth to the couple’s fourth child, Maverick Beckham Smith, in August 2021 — a little more than two years after the River’s death.

Granger Smith also previously performed under the stage name Earl Dibbles Jr. and released a number of country music albums before announcing in April 2023 he would be leaving country music in order to focus on ministry at his church in Austin.