SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2017 | COMMUNITY | PROGRESS 2017 | ALBERTLEATRIBUNE.COM | PAGE B1
Kiki Christensen’s daughter, Kailey Christensen, helped conceive the idea of using cups to spell out Sophie Stultz’s name in a fence by Albert Lea High School and her friend, Megan Vogt, made sure the task was complete while she attended the funeral service. Many others who participated in the project formed a human heart that stayed firmly tethered in place as the procession drove by. PHOTO COURTESY DAN BORLAND
SUPPORTING IN TIMES OF NEED Balloons honoring 8-year-old began with an idea; over 100 people volunteered By Kelly Wassenberg
kelly.wassenberg@albertleatribune.com
Like a cracked window or a shattered mirror — the hearts of the Stultz family were irrevocably broken when 8-year-old Sophie Stultz died last July. In the wake of such overwhelming grief, the family could have drowned in a sea of sorrow. Instead, they have managed to stay afloat due to their strong faith and the overwhelming amount of support shown to them by the community of Albert Lea. This support has been shown in many ways — kind words, warm embraces and with hundreds of pink balloons. Like many who heard of the child’s passing — but didn’t know the family personally — Albert Lea resident Jeanette Phillips felt compelled to do something to show the Stultz family her support. The first thing that came to her mind was a video her mother-in-law had shared with her in which a funeral procession route was lined with balloons. “I thought, ‘Why can’t Albert Lea come together and do something like this?’” Phillips said. So she went to work. It was July 5 and she was on a field trip to Valley Fair with her husband and three of her children who were in the marching band. With limited access to Wi-Fi, she sent out a call for volunteers to help with the project from the bus through Facebook Messenger. The response, she said, was instantaneous. Within minutes, she had received over 20 messages, which spiraled into over 100 by the time she was returned home that night. The flurry of donations of time and materials had Phillips creating a spreadsheet to keep track of much of the information, yet she admits some things were undoubtedly missed. The project branched out far beyond those on her friends list to make it hard to nail down the exact number of volunteers who ended up working to complete the task without fear of leaving someone out. Her husband, Aaron, speculated the numbers could be anywhere between 100 to 150 people. Was she surprised with the response? “Yes and no,” Phillips said. “It didn’t surprise me
Aaron and Jeanette Phillips, Kiki Christensen, Andrea Harves and Jennifer Hegel were just a few of the area residents who helped line the procession route for the funeral of 8-year-old Sophie Stultz. KELLY WASSENBERG/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE
Volunteers helped blow up hundreds of pink and white balloons at the Albert Lea Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. PHOTO COURTESY DAN BORLAND
“When you teach, those kids become yours, and it’s like losing one of your own.” — Lakeview Elementary School teacher Kiki Christensen because it’s Albert Lea and we’re full of great people, but it did surprise me because I was like — wow. I didn’t expect it to be as bombarded as it was by balloons.” While there were a few different groups working to fill balloons the night before the funeral, Phillips worked
The Albert Lea Convention and Visitor’s Bureau was one of a few locations where balloons were readied the evening prior to Sophie Stultz’s funeral service. Balloons were then moved to more strategic places along the route for easy at the Albert Lea Conven- access the next morning. PHOTO COURTESY DAN BORLAND tion and Visitors Bureau, where she met volunteer little emptier and missing and they had a chance to view Dori Etheridge for the first one big, bright, beautiful the route afterwards, Harves time. smile.” said they all began to cry. “I saw Sophie almost Another location that “And I haven’t stopped every day walking past hosted a balloon-filling thinking about (the family) my house or playing in the event was the home of since,” Harves said. “You park,” said Etheridge, one Andrea Harves. While she just don’t forget.” As painful as the memoof the Stultz family’s neigh- did not know the family, bors. “She was such a beau- her husband, Albert Lea ries may be, the staff at Elementary tiful little girl filled with so police officer Tim Harves, Lakeview much joy and spunk.” knew Sophie ever so brief- School have memories too Etheridge said the bal- ly. He was one of the first dear to ever dream of letloon event was a way for to respond to the scene of ting go of. “Sophie was in my class, those feeling helpless and the crash the day Sophie saddened by Sophie’s loss died. and she was a beautiful With a group comprised spirit that just lit up the to get together and share something that in a small of her husband, parents, classroom,” said Kiki Chrisway would show the Stultz sister and her sister’s boy- tensen, Sophie’s secondfamily how much the com- friend, Harves’s group blew grade teacher. munity was grieving with up 800 balloons. With a few Phillips had personally them. extra sets of hands, they called her to ask her if she “Our neighborhood will lined their assigned route wanted to be a part of the never be the same,” she on Lakewood Avenue. project, to which she said, said. “It will always be a When the work was done “Absolutely.”
Christensen hosted a group of about 15 Lakeview teachers and support staff who were assigned to cover Richway Drive. The group did so in advance so they could still attend Sophie’s funeral service. For Christensen, participating in the project served a dual purpose. While she definitely wanted to support the family and let them know how much Sophie meant to so many people, she also needed a way to focus her energy on something positive. “When you teach, those kids become yours, and it’s like losing one of your own.” These individuals represent just a handful of those who worked to make the balloon event a success. “I’m honored to be a part of the community that they are a part of,” Phillips said of everyone who participated. Speaking on behalf of her family, Sarah Stultz, Sophie’s mother, said she is grateful for the efforts of Phillips and everyone else who chose to be a part of the project. “During such an emotionally draining and shocking experience of Sophie’s death, we found comfort in the actions of the community through these balloons,” Stultz said. “It touched our hearts knowing how thoughtful people were to do this and to find out all the work that went into preparing and getting the balloons in place.” The family had caught glimpses of the balloons on the way to the funeral service and assumed they were there in honor of Sophie. However, the full extent of the effort was not felt until they were riding in the funeral procession. Stultz’s memory of that day demonstrates the balloon event had its intended effect. “Thinking back about those balloons brings back all the overwhelming memories from that week,” Stultz said. “We felt and still feel so much love from the community. It has, without a doubt, made our journey easier to bear.” And she too has a message for all those who participated. “Thank you,” she said. “In the middle of a heartbreaking experience, it was such a sweet experience to be the recipient of all of this love and caring. It is something we will never forget.”