Nicholas Speights will not be forgotten. That is his father’s dream with the Live Big Fund, now celebrating its sixth year in Castle Rock, with the annual 5K walk/run that celebrates the memory of Nicholas.
Nicholas died at 7 years old in 2006, when he was crossing the street during a Fourth of July block party. His family and community remember him each year with the Live Big Fund 5K, honoring his legacy of living life to the fullest.
The event is organized each year by Bill Speights, his wife Cheryl and a community of friends that has become like a second family. Since the day they lost Nicholas, the Speightses have remained in their home in The Meadows, where the children that were Nicholas’s friends have continued to be a part of their growing family.
“Nicholas would be 13 this year – they’re all 13,” Bill Speights said. “We keep in touch and hang out with all the kids that were his age and went to school with him – they babysit our kids. We miss him but we haven’t been abandoned, if that makes sense. They’re just wonderful kids. It’s just good stuff.”
The good stuff comes to the Speightses in many forms, from their family of friends and community to the three children who continue to keep them busy. In addition to Nicholas’ older brother Chris, who is now 19 and waiting for his first mission assignment through the family’s LDS church, the Speightses are busy keeping up with 3-year-old twins that came after they lost Nicholas.
Abby and Sabrina are getting ready to start preschool, and Abby was recently diagnosed with diabetes, a condition the family is adapting to, Bill Speights said.
“They are definitely double trouble,” he said.
Bill Speights is working with the town of Castle Rock in preparation for the 2012 Live Big Fund 5K, which raises money for a community service project with Nicholas’ love of outdoor activities in mind. This year’s event marks the second year of fundraising for a long-term project at the town’s Philip S. Miller regional park, still in the design phase in the town’s parks and recreation department.
In honor of Nicholas’ devotion to the Boy Scouts, Bill Speights hopes to raise enough money to build an outdoor orienteering center, teaching children the art of navigation in the wild with the use of compasses and landmarks.
“Being outdoors was Nicholas’ passion. We did a lot of backpacking,” Bill Speights said. “We wanted to do something that reminded us of Nicholas.”
The Live Big Fund 5K is at 10 a.m. May 6 at Butterfield Park, 3952 W. Butterfield Crossing Drive in Castle Rock. Children can participate in a race around the park at 11 a.m.
Family events include bounce houses, face painting, live music from Johnny and the Rockets, food from the Boy Scouts and live sports and cheerleading demonstrations courtesy of the DC Dolphins.
Registration is at 8:30 a.m. on the day of the race or register in advance at www.livebigfund.org.
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