This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
The Kailee Mills Foundation will be holding its third annual Buckle Up 4 Kailee 5K Color Run on Saturday, May 7 at Gullo Park.
The Kailee Mills Foundation will be holding its third annual Buckle Up 4 Kailee 5K Color Run on Saturday, May 7 at Gullo Park.
The Kailee Mills Foundation will be holding its third annual Buckle Up 4 Kailee 5K Color Run on Saturday, May 7 at Gullo Park.
The Kailee Mills Foundation will be holding its third annual Buckle Up 4 Kailee 5K Color Run on Saturday, May 7 at Gullo Park.
The Kailee Mills Foundation will be holding its third annual Buckle Up 4 Kailee 5K Color Run on Saturday, May 7 at Gullo Park.
After a two-year hiatus, the Kailee Mills Foundation is bringing back its annual color run on May 7, and executive director Briana McCulloch hopes this year’s event draws its biggest crowd yet.
The Buckle Up 4 Kailee 5K Color Run was the first fundraiser ever held by the Kailee Mills Foundation.
The nonprofit was founded in 2017 after the sudden loss of Kailee Mills, a 16-year-old resident of Spring. Mills removed her seat belt momentarily while riding in the back seat of a vehicle that hit a curb which caused it to flip. She was ejected and killed instantly.
On HoustonChronicle.com: TxDOT says 2021 was deadliest on Texas roads in four decades
The three other passengers were all wearing their seat belts at the time and survived unharmed.
Kailee’s family realized after the crash that she would still be alive if she had her seat belt on. So, they started the Kailee Mills Foundation to raise awareness and save lives.
The Kailee Mills Foundation will be holding its third annual Buckle Up 4 Kailee 5K Color Run on Saturday, May 7 at Gullo Park in Spring. The Buckle Up 4 Kailee Car Show will be held the night before.
“We are so excited to have this event again, it’s such a fun event and the community has been missing it. It’s such a good opportunity to bring together families and people of all ages all in one place to share the importance of road safety,” said McCulloch, who is Kailee’s aunt.
Since Kailee enjoyed participating in 5K fun runs, McCulloch said it was the perfect activity for Kailee’s parents David and Wendy Mills to center the event around.
The 5K run was held in 2018 and 2019, but COVID-19 forced them to cancel the last two events. McCulloch hopes they get to hold it every year going forward.
The organization’s seat belt safety awareness program has grown to include school programs, community events and awareness campaigns that are run on social media, through billboards, TV, and radio.
“We started spreading awareness about the importance of seat belt safety within schools and the community and it really just grew from there,” McCulloch said.
The foundation also rolled out a family assistance program offering support for other families going through similar tragedies by helping with funerals, medical costs, meals, and loss of income.
Additionally, the nonprofit offers college scholarships, McCulloch said, and supports first responders who are the ones on the front lines when crashes happen.
The foundation hosts multiple fundraising events, with two others to be held in the fall: the Kailee Mills Foundation Golf Tournament, scheduled for Sept. 1, and the Buckled in Black Gala, scheduled for Dec. 3. The foundation also participates in other community events year-round.
McCulloch anticipates over 700 participants at this year’s Buckle Up 4 Kailee 5K Color Run, making it their biggest turnout yet. The inaugural 5K saw 500 participants, she said, and the second event brought in about 400.
The event serves as a fundraiser as well as a safety expo to spread road and seat belt safety awareness. Many first responders will be present, and booths will offer information on topics such as drinking and driving, distracted driving and speeding.
On HoustonChronicle.com: Experts hope to keep Houston's teen drivers safe during ‘100 deadliest days’ of summer
Guests will have the opportunity to see a variety of emergency vehicles including firetrucks, law enforcement vehicles, ambulance, and Life Flight. A distracted driving simulator and districted driving googles will also be available for use at one of the booths.
In addition to visiting with first responders, people can participate in a seat belt safety challenge where prizes are given to those who buckle up their seat belt the fastest. There’s also going to be face painting for kids and a coloring and drawing contest.
“The event is very fun and that’s how we get people from the community to attend and then there’s a lot of opportunity for them to also learn about road safety while they’re there,” McCulloch said.
Victims of car accidents will be honored in a special way during the event, McCulloch said. As individuals go through the 5K course, there will be dedications all along the pathway in memory of people who lost their lives not wearing their seat belt. Each will include the person’s photo and a balloon arrangement in their favorite color.
“That’s going to be really special, and their friends and their family are going to be there to honor and remember them as well,” McCulloch said.
McCulloch said they always bring the Kailee Car Display too, which is a sculpture of an upside-down car that represents the beginning moments of the crash. The sculpture was created during the Click It or Ticket campaign in 2019.
“We still travel with that today and use that as a tool and a method to remind people what’s at stake when they don’t wear their seat belt,” McCulloch said.
McCulloch said individuals can help the foundation’s efforts by attending their events, volunteering, donating, and helping them spread the message by following them on social media and sharing with others.
More details and registration information for the May 6 car show and May 7 color run can be found through the Kailee Mills Foundation website, www.kaileemillsfoundation.org.
“We just wanted it to be a fun event and a fun way for us to be able to remind people how important seat belt safety is,” McCulloch said.
Alvaro Ignacio Montaño is a sports reporter at the Houston Chronicle's weekly newspapers covering the northwest Houston area including the Cypress, Klein, Spring and Tomball regions. Alvaro previously served as an agate clerk at the Houston Chronicle from 2012-17. He was born in Houston and grew up in Spring Branch. He received his bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Houston.
For the last 2½ years, a Dallas couple has battled the fraudulent credit card charges that upended their lives and clouded their financial future.