Page 14 - Sarita Maybin

KEEPING THE HOPE ALIVE
Photography by Deanna Haala

CANNOT IMAGINE A HORROR WORSE THAN that would commit violent sexual crimes against
I losing a child. I am in awe of those who can them. Chelsea's Light Foundation allows Brent,
move forward and make something wonderful to Tyler and me a chance to give back to a commu-
serve the community out of their own pain and
suffering. Kelly, Brent, and Tyler King have been
doing this after the gruesome findings that their
beautiful 17-year-old daughter, Chelsea, would
never be coming home to them. Chelsea disap-
peared on February 25, 2010, while on a routine
run in the Rancho Bernardo Community Park.
Every day since the family has worked tirelessly to
help protect other children so no family will ever
suffer this type of profound loss. Through two
major fundraising events a year they raise the ma-
jority of funds for the Chelsea Light Foundation.
Below are photos taken at Homerun for Chel-
sea one of these two events. The other, Finish nity that gave so much to us during our darkest
Chelsea’s Run, takes place March 2nd in Balboa hours and to keep Chelsea's dream of making this
Park. These are both community-based events world a better place alive and strong for genera-
that bring families together working towards a tions to come.”
common goal, making our children safe again. With 112k Social Media followers assisting to
I had the opportunity to speak with Chelsea's make sure that legislators pay attention to our
Mom Kelly to ask how she and her family found kid’s rights we are certain that Chelsea’s Light and
the strength to move forward and what led them their Followers are making a difference.

to create the Chelsea's Light Foundation. I could If you want to make a difference too, there
never put it more eloquently as Kelly King did. So are several ways to engage with Chelsea's Light.
please read her words below: Visit their website www.chelseaslight.org to
“Our decision to create the Chelsea's Light learn more about them. Join the 112k social
Foundation was at it's very heart, a decision to media followers by liking them on Facebook or
choose hope over despair, love over rage and Twitter, register as a participant or a fundraiser
faith that even though our daughter's life was cut for Finish Chelsea's Run on March 2, 2018, in
short in the most unimaginable way, the beauty Balboa Park or sign up as a volunteer.
of her spirit would live on and make the world
a better place. We seek to protect the joy and
innocence of childhood through an engaged
community. We provide scholarships to extraor-
dinary kids, so they may realize their dreams of
going to college just as our daughter dreamed of
doing. We also provide (through our Joie de Vivre
scholarship program) opportunities for kids to
enjoy extracurricular activities like music lessons,
soccer camp or anything that brings them joy,
but that their families are unable to provide due
to lack of resources. And of course, we seek to
make this a safer world for every child by passing
laws that toughens sentencing against those
14