SLEEPY EYE, Minn. – More than 2,000 people poured into a Sleepy Eye park Saturday to honor, encourage and support families dealing with unspeakable tragedy.
"This is an awesome turn out," said Deb Hadley. "But it's a bittersweet day."
Hadley had originally organized a simple 5k to raise money for epilepsy research in Minnesota. It was supposed to be an event in honor of her daughter, Kaylie, who passed away last summer at the age of the 24 following a massive seizure.
But the event became so much more when Hadley's son, Tyler, died in March. He was with three other Sleepy Eye teens when the car they were in hit a patch of ice and slid into an oncoming truck. All four were killed.
"The crash impacted this whole community. It brought us to our knees," said Hadley. "We needed to do something to bring joy back to this community."
There was plenty of joy on Saturday.
"I know my kids are proud of me," said Hadley, who pulled together dozens of volunteers to organize the event. "I couldn't let something like this wreck me because it would wreck everyone around me. That would be a waste of their lives, and I know they're pushing me all the time."
University of Minnesota head football coach Jerry Kill, recording artist Jason Gray and a color run highlighted the event.
More than $15,000 was raised.
