ST. LOUIS – Steven Conoyer has a lot of reasons to smile.

“Steven has loved to do art his whole life,” Katherine Beasley, Steven’s mother, said. “He has two fantastic caregivers right now that are very artistic and very creative, and they do art every day.”

Steven lives with cerebral palsy. Doctors told his mother that Steven wouldn’t see his 13th birthday. On June 24, her son will celebrate his 39th birthday.

“He was a 28-week preemie, and so we were told very few years,” she said.

Beasley announced a birthday party for Steven on Facebook, and invited everyone to attend as long as they brought in a non-perishable item for the Cornerstone United Methodist Church Food Pantry.

“Well, this food pantry used to service only nine families in the community, and today they service 33 families,” she said. “So, there’s a lot of people in need. And so, we thought, what a better way?”

Steven and his mother decided to raise money for the food bank by putting all his artwork on display for sale.

There were 85 pieces on display, and Steven’s technique is unique.

“He has what we call Steven Style, which is just freehand,” Beasley said. “He has an adaptive device that we put in his hand, and then the paintbrushes, or a squeegee. We’ve used crumpled up foil, toothbrushes. He’s very creative.”

His favorite color?

“Blue,” Conoyer said.

As Steven made some art for his dad who’s a firefighter for Father’s Day, his family wanted Steven’s birthday party this weekend to be one he will never forget.

Even Central County Fire and Rescue got to the party early to call dibs on the masterpieces they wanted to take home.

In total, nearly 100 people showed up to the party. Steven raised $2,000 from the art he sold, all of which will go to the food pantry.

“We can’t be prouder of Steven, and all our family and friends who came out to support him and this cause,” Beasley said.