Looking around at all the smiling faces greeting each other, throwing footballs or eating concessions-type snacks, it was evident that Dawson County teen Mason Palmour has a whole family of supporters behind him. 

During an April 16 “Punt, Pass and Kick” fundraiser at Rock Creek Park, a total of $16,467.74 was raised for Mason, who was diagnosed with stage four Glioblastoma, a rare type of brain cancer, this past fall. 

His family is seeking a California-based medical treatment for him that costs $270,000, above and beyond what insurance will cover.

For the fundraiser’s main activity, children ages five to 18 years old competed to see who could throw, punt and kick a football the farthest distances. 

After the event, local nonprofit K.A.R.E. for Kids surprised Mason and his family with a $5,000 donation. 

Later that evening, Atlanta’s WSBTV posted an article about the Dawson-area community’s efforts to support Mason. 

As of April 18, over $32,000 has been raised for Mason through the GoFundMe. During a Nov. 28 gathering for Mason at the DCHS football field, a group of 50-55 people raised over $20,000 in donations in support of the teen. 

Mason Palmour also has a bank account with Bank OZK in Dawsonville for people wanting to make a deposit there on behalf of him. 

As the teen’s father, Robert Palmour, looked around at a lot of the same kids that he used to coach in different sports, he called the amount of support “completely mind-blowing.” 

“My heart is so full,” Robert said. “We’re a big family up here. You can really tell.”