Nevaeh Christmas party a good time with a serious message
by Laura Rice
Posted: 12.15.2010 at 11:32 PM
'MONROE, MI -- It has been 18 months since an unknown killer kidnapped and took the life of 5-year-old Monroe girl Nevaeh Buchanan.
Wednesday evening the Monroe community came together not only to keep Nevaeh's name and story in everyone's hearts and minds but to have fun and honor her memory.
Kids... many little girls with long, brown hair just like Nevaeh's... celebrated the season by decorating cookies, enjoying crafts and claiming some cool gifts.
It was a bittersweet reminder of this party's purpose.
"A lot of Nevaeh's friends are here and when they come up and they tell you, 'I remember her and I miss her.' It kind of hits you in the heart," said Joe Starkey, Justice for Nevaeh President.
Starkey and his partner funded this annual Christmas gathering themselves and with help from donations.
Organizers say they want the kids to just have fun but they want the parents to walk away with a more serious message.
"We need parents to realize that the killer is still out there and to be aware and keep an eye on their children. We never in a million years thought this would happen to us and it did," said Nevaeh's Grandma Carla Nash.
Parents hold their kids a little tighter with the memory of what happened to Nevaeh but, for the moment, everyone just has a little fun.
"This is something Nevaeh would have wanted," said Nash. "She would have loved this. And you look around and you see the other kids--they're having a blast and this is something Nevaeh would have enjoyed--she would have loved being here."
If you missed Wednesday's event, you can catch it again Thursday.
It runs from 5:00 pm until 8:30 pm at the Moose Lodge on North Macomb Street in Monroe.
CLICK HERE for more information on the non-profit organization Justice for Nevaeh.
http://www.toledoonthemove.com/news/story.aspx?id=555413