Saturday, July 14th was Natalie’s Fly Thru the Park 5K run/walk event at Miami Meadows Park, in Miami Township/Milford, Ohio. We were in desperate need of rain, and of course that much needed rain came Saturday morning, along with all of Natalie’s supporters, volunteers, joggers and walkers. 
This year makes 6 for this fundraising event and marked my 2nd time photographing it. Usually the event occurs in conjunction with the Midsummer at Miami Meadows festival, but due to a lack of funds, the carnival had been cancelled for the year.
(Btw, if you are a Milford/Miami Township resident and you have any suggestions to provide for a possible festival next year, please contact: Mary Makley Wolff, Miami Township trustee, mary.wolff@MiamiTwpOh.gov)
Not only was I honored to be invited back to cover the event, but I was also acknowledged as a Gold sponsor, which I am completely overjoyed by.
So, who is Natalie and what does her event support, you ask?
Natalie was a little girl who lost her life during an ice storm in 2007. She was only 9 years old, but was quite the budding philanthropist. According to her parents, family, friends and her diary, she had big plans for the charities and organizations that mattered most to her.
To honor her memory, her parents, David and Melisa Fossier created the Natalie Fossier Memorial Fund. They hold fundraisers every year to raise money for local causes. Some of the organizations that receive these donations are: the Clermont County Humane Society, McCormick Elementary School, local nursing homes and a scholarship fund for the Milford School District. In addition to the annual Fly Thru the Park run/walk event, they also host a silent auction.
To see all of the images from this year’s Fly Thru the Park event, please visit my website under the “EfyP Events” tab or simply click on this link. (20% of all print sales will go to the Natalie Fossier Memorial Fund.)
- For more information on the Fossiers and to read Natalie’s story, please visit the memorial site that they have created: natalie-fossier.memory-of.com
- The Fossiers in the News: Milford Community Press and WCPO
- You can also “Like” their newly created Facebook page under “Natalie Fossier Memorial” or click here!
- If you are a runner/walker and would like to participate, the Fly Thru the Park event is held every July at Miami Meadows Park. Registration will be available on the Natalie Fossier Memorial website.
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