Alan Nash caught a glimpse of the plaque for his late son’s memorial, a sign to stand before Kelly Nash’s bench at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hall County.

“It just broke me down ... It means a lot. It’s a great memorial to him and to this institution,” Alan Nash said.

A group of 50 volunteers spent time Thursday painting inside the center and planting the garden that surrounds the bench for the Keller Williams Red Day.

A bench was installed as a memorial to Kelly Nash, a Buford man who died earlier this year.

“It was touching,” Alan Nash said. “One of the things I go through every day is wondering how do I keep Kelly alive and him around. Things like this are really, really special.”

Kelly Nash, a Lakeview Academy graduate, disappeared from his Buford home on Jan. 5. His body was discovered on Feb. 8 in Lake Lanier.

During his time on the Lakeview Academy basketball team, Kelly Nash began his volunteerism with the Boys & Girls Clubs as encouraged by his coaches.

“Seeing so many people work so hard to help a resource for kids like Boys & Girls Club, that makes it all worthwhile,” Alan Nash said.

The Red Day leadership council, said Keller Williams Realty Atlanta Partners realtor Nikki Bonds, discussed Nash’s involvement with the club when selecting the year’s recipient.

“This area that we’re building here not only beautifies the land but is also dedicated to his memory,” she said.

Alan Nash said the time since Kelly Nash’s death have been up and down, with some days easier than others.

“There are days where just missing him is the hardest part,” Alan Nash said. “This strengthened me today.”