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Celebrate Tennessee: Free Family Photos Offered To Gatlinburg Fire Victims

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A Nashville-based production company helped the many Gatlinburg wildfire victims create new memories with a free portrait session.

The production company Electric Peak Creative created "Project Heirloom" held a two-day event in January at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg.

Each family received a framed and matted 8"x10" portrait.

Darlene Verito and her partner Keith were one of the many victims in the devastating fires.

"This was a home that we thought we'd spend the rest of our lives in," she said talking about her house that was destroyed.

"I come up here still sometimes and I'll park and I'll cry because this is where I was last really happy," said Darlene.

Yet, the creative minds behind "Project Heirloom" were able to give a small piece of home back to her and many other families.

"These pictures mean more to me than anything," she said.

"Perhaps the photo is kind of reminding them of what they do have. They've got their family. They've got the people they love," said photographer Thomas Gentry. 

Gentry and the other photographers involved said they just wanted to do as much as they could to help their fellow Tennesseans.