September 3, 2016
Family and friends gathered in Elkhorn, Nebraska to remember the life of Lane Graves on what would have been his third birthday. The story of the boy killed by an alligator while vacationing at Disney World shocked the country -- and made a deep impact on his rural hometown with a population under 10,000.
The Love for Lane Celebration was a sea of blue as family and friends gathered wearing Lane’s favorite color. After a few remarks from Lane’s parents, Matt and Melissa Graves, the crowd release over 5,000 blue balloons and waved farewell.
The Graves family has established 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,” says Matt and Melissa Graves on the foundation website. The foundation will make direct donations to various charitable organizations.