Vernon Hills outing raises $15,000 for Lexi Kazian Foundation

Nearly $15,000 was recently raised to help children with special needs during the village of Vernon Hills’ 24th annual charity golf tournament.

More than two dozen area businesses and organizations donated $600 per hole as sponsors and 44 golfers also chipped in during the event Aug. 18 at the Vernon Hills nine-hole golf course.

This was the first year the tournament raised funds for the Lexi Kazian Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the comfort and quality of life for children with special needs.

Helping From Heaven was founded in 2005 by the Kazian family in Vernon Hills. Lexi was born with a severe brain injury due to a lack of oxygen. She died after two years and three months of fighting.

The foundation works to create a network for families that will provide resources and create friendships for children and parents to facilitate and encourage sharing; facilitates an equipment lending network; builds local playgrounds with specialized equipment; and provides financial support to families who have children with special needs and struggle to care for them.

According to Kristy Kazian, funds raised at the golf outing will go toward the organization’s next two big projects.

The first is the purchase of equipment for children with special needs who can’t afford to purchase it themselves. This equipment can be anything from a wheelchair to a special needs swing set, a medical bed, or a mechanical lift for their van.

Whatever it is, the family writes a grant request explaining why the equipment will help improve their child and family’s comfort and quality of life. This grant cycle is done three times per year.

The next is a family networking event Sunday, Feb. 17, at the Blast Zone in Vernon Hills. Lexi’s Annual Valentine’s Day Party is free for children with special needs and their families. It is an opportunity for the families to come out for family fun.

This is a one-of-a-kind event in Lake County. When Lexi was alive, the only opportunity to meet other parents and children with special needs was in waiting rooms at doctors’ offices, Kazian said.

“The Fun Family Days were created because of our experiences as parents with a child with special needs and the desperation to make friends with other families in our similar situation,” she added.

The Lexi Kazian Foundation hosts about three of these events per year.