I Love LK fund sees continued growth

Originally organized in 2015 by the parents, family and friends of the late Lila Kate McAlister to honor her memory, the I Love LK Memorial Fund has grown each year, and on Oct. 29 distributed $32,000 to 11 area and state charitable organizations and groups.

"It was a very emotional and awesome event," Kerry Turner, a board member for the fund, said of the "I Love LK Giving Day," held for the second year at Futrell Marine, where they handed out $30,000 last year.

Four-year-old Lila Kate died on Jan. 9, 2015, after she got sick with respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, a common ailment among children. Lila Kate was born with Down syndrome and major heart and lung problems, so she was unable to fight the illness and died suddenly.

Her parents, Skip and Misty McAlister, and friends and family organized a 5K run-walk event to raise awareness about Down syndrome and to raise money for groups "near and dear to Misty and Skip's hearts," Turner said. The run's original date was March 21 -- 3/21 -- which was symbolic of the extra chromosome that causes Down syndrome.

This year's I Love LK 5K was held on April 8 at Lake Catherine State Park with 182 participants. The male winner, Noah Eskew, 17, of Jessieville, completed the race in 16 minutes, 57 seconds, and the female winner, Abigail Barker, 13, of De Queen, completed it in 23 minutes, 33 seconds. One special feature of the event is the top winners get to designate one of the charities chosen.

Eskew chose the Special Olympics, which received $2,000, and Barker chose Arkansas Children's Hospital, which received $4,000. The other recipients and amounts received were: The Call, $3,000; the While We Are Waiting Retreat Center, $3,000; CASA, $3,000; the Arkansas Down Syndrome Association, $3,000; Ouachita Children's Center, $3,000; Our Promise, $3,000; ACCESS School in Little Rock, $3,000; PANS/PANDAS, $3,000; and I Can of Arkansas, $2,000.

Turner noted the While We are Waiting Retreat Center has a special connection to the McAlisters since one of the guest rooms at the facility, located at 1685 S. Moore Road, is named in Lila Kate's honor.

Local on 11/06/2017

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