After their 2-year-old son was attacked and killed by an alligator in Disney World, Lane Graves' family has set up a charity foundation in his honor. The Lane Thomas Foundation teamed up with an umbrella charity in Omaha, Nebraska, to promote an outreach program. A donation page can be found via a link on the Omaha Community Foundation's website.
Last Tuesday, the Graves family attended the Grand Floridian resort's outdoor movie night. Around 9 p.m., their son waded out into about a foot of water in the Seven Seas Lagoon and was dragged out by an alligator. His parents, Matt and Melissa, attempted to save him. They wrote about the tragic loss of their son on the Foundation's homepage:
After the tragic loss of our beloved 2-year-old son, Lane Thomas, we have created the Lane Thomas Foundation to honor his memory. Losing Lane has broken our hearts in the worst possible way. While there is no way to mend our hearts, we can do good work in his honor.
If you would like to honor Lane, donations are being accepted on behalf of the Lane Thomas Foundation at the Omaha Community Foundation. We will use these funds to make direct donations to various charitable organizations. 100% of all donations will be received by the charitable cause.
We thank you for helping us create a lasting legacy for our son.
According to the Omaha Community Foundation's webpage, the foundation prioritizes local needs within the city's community, noting that they want "every neighborhood to prosper, every school to thrive, every child to flourish."
On Monday, the family held a wake for Lane, which was followed by a funeral at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Elkhorn, Nebraska. The Church's website published a statement by Lane's parents.
Melissa and I continue to deal with the loss of our beloved boy, Lane, and are overwhelmed with the support and love we have received from family and friends in our community as well as from around the country. We understand the public's interest, but as we move forward this weekend, we ask for and appreciate the privacy we need to lay our son to rest. Neither Melissa, myself or anyone from our family will be speaking publicly; we simply cannot at this time.
They ask instead for prayers, donations, and simple remembrance of their little boy. The Lane Thomas Foundation accepts credit card donations and allows people who are interested to set up their own accounts here. The donation form asks for basic contact and payment information and also includes a slot titled "special instructions."
