Schools
Toy drive honors Kilbourne student's generous nature
 |
| Kilbourne junior Kasey Burleson died in a car accident in 2005. |
* A toy collection in memory of Kilbourne student Kasey Burleson will be held this weekend.
By PAMELA WILLIS
As a child, Kasey Burleson loved dropping off toys for
Christmas toy drives at Fire Station 27 on Smoky Row Road.
That love of giving continued through her last year, in 2005, when she lost her life at age 16 after a car accident.
"From the time Kasey was a small child until she passed, she loved going and buying toys and dropping them off at the fire station," said Kasey's mother, Marsha Burleson. "Many people have golf outings, etc., but we thought this was the best way for our family and friends to honor Kasey."
Kasey's family members will sponsor the second annual toy drive in her honor from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Target, 6000 Sawmill Road.
Kasey was a junior at Worthington Kilbourne High School when she died from injuries resulting from a crash four years ago. She was a passenger in a car involved in a head-on collision at the intersection near Bent Tree Boulevard and Snouffer Road on Nov. 22, 2005.
Her parents, Mark and Marsha Burleson, along with her brother Brian, organized the first toy drive in Kasey's honor last November.
This year, the Burlesons are asking people to stop by the Target store and purchase a new, inexpensive toy or piece of clothing; volunteers will wait with large boxes to accept the donations in the Target parking lot.
Mrs. Burleson said people who may not be able to get out to purchase toys on that day still can contribute.
"We will be glad to pick up new toys in person from people who can't make it on Saturday, if they call Mark's cell, or we can arrange for them to drop off donations at our house," she said. "We usually deliver the toys in mid-December."
Mr. Burleson can be reached on his cell phone at 614-204-7772.
The toys will be distributed to toy drives organized by Fire Station 27, Columbus Firefighters, United States Marines, Worthington's United Methodist Children's Home, WCOL/Salvation Army, Nationwide Children's Hospital and to local television station toy drives, Mrs. Burleson said.
Kasey gave the ultimate gift -- a second chance at life -- to four major organ recipients when she checked the "organ donor" box while receiving her first driver's license, 10 months before she died.
Mrs. Burleson said she and her husband were donors themselves, but did not know Kasey's wish to be an organ donor until her last hours alive in the hospital.
She said she can barely put into words what it means to have met three of the four people who received organs from Kasey.
"Meeting three of the four recipients of Kasey's major organs and knowing Kasey lives on is what helps Mark and I as well as our family and friends to get through each and every day," she said. "She gave them that second chance at life -- to be able to work again, resume a normal lifestyle, see their children graduate from school and welcome grandchildren into the world."
She said she hopes people will remember Kasey by donating toys for the toy drive.
"Last year we collected more than 2,000 toys, thanks to the wonderful generosity of people in the community," she said. "It has been wonderful working with Target this year on the event."
That love of giving continued through her last year, in 2005, when she lost her life at age 16 after a car accident.
"From the time Kasey was a small child until she passed, she loved going and buying toys and dropping them off at the fire station," said Kasey's mother, Marsha Burleson. "Many people have golf outings, etc., but we thought this was the best way for our family and friends to honor Kasey."
Kasey's family members will sponsor the second annual toy drive in her honor from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Target, 6000 Sawmill Road.
Kasey was a junior at Worthington Kilbourne High School when she died from injuries resulting from a crash four years ago. She was a passenger in a car involved in a head-on collision at the intersection near Bent Tree Boulevard and Snouffer Road on Nov. 22, 2005.
Her parents, Mark and Marsha Burleson, along with her brother Brian, organized the first toy drive in Kasey's honor last November.
This year, the Burlesons are asking people to stop by the Target store and purchase a new, inexpensive toy or piece of clothing; volunteers will wait with large boxes to accept the donations in the Target parking lot.
Mrs. Burleson said people who may not be able to get out to purchase toys on that day still can contribute.
"We will be glad to pick up new toys in person from people who can't make it on Saturday, if they call Mark's cell, or we can arrange for them to drop off donations at our house," she said. "We usually deliver the toys in mid-December."
Mr. Burleson can be reached on his cell phone at 614-204-7772.
The toys will be distributed to toy drives organized by Fire Station 27, Columbus Firefighters, United States Marines, Worthington's United Methodist Children's Home, WCOL/Salvation Army, Nationwide Children's Hospital and to local television station toy drives, Mrs. Burleson said.
Kasey gave the ultimate gift -- a second chance at life -- to four major organ recipients when she checked the "organ donor" box while receiving her first driver's license, 10 months before she died.
Mrs. Burleson said she and her husband were donors themselves, but did not know Kasey's wish to be an organ donor until her last hours alive in the hospital.
She said she can barely put into words what it means to have met three of the four people who received organs from Kasey.
"Meeting three of the four recipients of Kasey's major organs and knowing Kasey lives on is what helps Mark and I as well as our family and friends to get through each and every day," she said. "She gave them that second chance at life -- to be able to work again, resume a normal lifestyle, see their children graduate from school and welcome grandchildren into the world."
She said she hopes people will remember Kasey by donating toys for the toy drive.
"Last year we collected more than 2,000 toys, thanks to the wonderful generosity of people in the community," she said. "It has been wonderful working with Target this year on the event."