The inaugural Addison Kelly Butterfly 5K Walk/Run was a testament to the support felt by the Kelly family since the tragic passing of their kin on 8 Feb. of last year.
Rhonda Kelly said the 5K event, which honoured her daughter Addison Kelly, who died by suicide a year ago at the age of 16, featured around 1,000 participants.
“We have literally been overwhelmed; that’s the only word that I could say about the whole morning,” Rhonda told the Cayman Compass following the event at Camana Bay on Saturday.
“We were probably over 1,000 registrations and I expected 500 when I first started planning it.”
The event was not a competitive race, therefore no times or placements were logged.
The Kelly family, including Addi’s mum Rhonda, dad Kirk and elder sisters Brittany and Emily, walked the route together and received an ovation from the crowd as they gathered at the finish line.
“The outpouring of love from this community has been nothing but incredible,” Rhonda said.
“Obviously going through something like this, it’s devastating… and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy, but the community is helping us get through it.”
She added that losing her daughter is something one can’t fully overcome, but with the community’s support, life without Addison is “a little bit more bearable”.
While Rhonda noted that the Butterfly 5K is a way to keep her daughter’s legacy going, the event also raised funds for Caymanians looking to study in the mental health field.
She said enough money had been raised through the event to assist the first Addison Kelly Memorial Scholarship recipient this year.
“It was over $45,000,” Rhonda said. “We want to help others but we also want to make sure that Addi is remembered.”
She added that figure does not reflect the exact amount raised, noting that donations would also be matched by Dart, which Dominic Ross, manager of community development at Dart, announced at the event.
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