How can a community honor the memory of a loved one while raising awareness for an important cause. What is the story behind Paige’s Green Dream Walk in Moorestown, NJ. How are two sisters carrying on their friend’s legacy through a charitable event.
The Inspiration Behind Paige’s Green Dream Walk
In the heart of Moorestown, New Jersey, a touching story of friendship, loss, and hope has blossomed into a community-wide event. Paige’s Green Dream Walk, set to take place on November 3rd, is more than just a fundraiser – it’s a testament to the enduring impact one young life can have on an entire community.
Paige Holland, a vibrant 17-year-old Moorestown High School student, passed away in October 2012 due to complications from epilepsy. Her untimely death left a void in the lives of many, particularly her close friends Alexandra and Kacie Liebman. Instead of succumbing to grief, these sisters chose to honor Paige’s memory in a way that embodies her spirit and continues her fight against epilepsy.
The Liebman Sisters: Turning Grief into Action
Alexandra Liebman, a senior at Moorestown High School, had been best friends with Paige since 10th grade. Her younger sister, 12-year-old Kacie, also formed a close bond with Paige. In the wake of their loss, the Liebman sisters conceived the idea of a fundraiser to honor Paige’s memory and support her dream of conquering epilepsy.
What makes this initiative particularly poignant is its origin. Kacie Liebman, who recently celebrated her bat mitzvah, chose to fulfill her community service requirement by organizing this event. Her mother, Robin Liebman, shared, “There were no other things that she could think to do other than honoring Paige’s dream (of conquering epilepsy).”
The Power of Young Activism
This initiative showcases the potential of young people to drive meaningful change in their communities. By channeling their grief into positive action, Alexandra and Kacie are not only honoring their friend but also raising awareness about epilepsy and its impact on individuals and families.
Paige Holland: A Life of Kindness and Inspiration
To understand the significance of this event, it’s crucial to know more about Paige Holland herself. According to her mother, Kara Holland, Paige was “devoted to making others feel happy, important and loved.” This sentiment is echoed by her friends, who remember her as someone who treated every day like a holiday and always knew how to make others smile.
Paige’s philosophy was simple yet profound: “Even if you make just one person a little happier each day, that is a day well-lived.” This approach to life left an indelible mark on those around her, inspiring them to carry on her legacy of kindness and positivity.
Paige’s Impact on Her Community
- Always there for friends – to make them smile or defend them against bullies
- Known for her famous rice pudding
- Treated every day like a holiday
- Focused on others’ happiness rather than her own
Understanding Epilepsy: Breaking Stigmas and Raising Awareness
Epilepsy, the condition that ultimately claimed Paige’s life, affects millions of people worldwide. Yet, it remains misunderstood and often stigmatized. Paige’s Green Dream Walk aims not only to raise funds for research but also to educate the community about this neurological disorder.
Can a community event help dispel misconceptions about epilepsy? The organizers of Paige’s Green Dream Walk certainly believe so. By combining education with fundraising, they hope to create a more informed and empathetic community.
Key Facts About Epilepsy
- Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures
- It affects people of all ages, but is most commonly diagnosed in children and older adults
- Many people with epilepsy can control their seizures with medication
- Stigma and misconceptions about epilepsy can be as challenging as the condition itself
The Event: Paige’s Green Dream 5k/10k Walk
Scheduled for November 3rd at Moorestown High School, Paige’s Green Dream Walk is set to be a community-wide event. The day will begin with registration at 9 a.m., followed by opening remarks from the Holland family and the dedication of a bench bearing Paige’s name outside the high school. The walk itself will commence at 10 a.m.
How can community members participate in this meaningful event? Interested individuals can register for the walk and/or make donations through the Paige’s Green Dream website. As of late October, the organizers had already raised more than $12,000 through registered walkers and donations.
Event Highlights
- 5k/10k walk starting and ending at Moorestown High School
- Vendors including Cyberonics and the Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey
- Epilepsy awareness and education activities
- Dedication of a memorial bench for Paige Holland
The Impact: More Than Just a Fundraiser
While raising money for the Epilepsy Foundation is a primary goal, Paige’s Green Dream Walk aims to achieve much more. For the Holland family, it serves as a touching tribute to their daughter’s memory. Kara Holland expressed her gratitude, saying, “It really does help warm our broken hearts. We are very grateful and honored.”
For the Liebman sisters and other organizers, the event is an opportunity to continue Paige’s legacy of kindness and positivity. It’s a way to transform grief into action and to make a tangible difference in the fight against epilepsy.
Moreover, the walk serves as a platform for community education and unity. By bringing people together around a common cause, it fosters a sense of shared purpose and empathy.
Long-term Goals of the Event
- Raise funds for epilepsy research and support
- Increase public awareness and understanding of epilepsy
- Create a lasting memorial to Paige Holland
- Inspire ongoing community involvement in charitable causes
The Power of Community in Times of Loss
Paige’s Green Dream Walk exemplifies how a community can come together in the face of tragedy. It demonstrates that even in moments of profound loss, there is potential for growth, learning, and positive change.
Robin Liebman summarized this sentiment beautifully: “We take these very tragic moments, and we can’t change these moments, but we can make something so positive come out of them.” This approach not only honors the memory of those we’ve lost but also provides a path forward for those left behind.
Lessons in Community Building
- Tragedy can be a catalyst for positive community action
- Young people have the power to drive meaningful change
- Shared experiences can unite diverse groups within a community
- Small acts of kindness can have far-reaching impacts
Looking Forward: The Legacy of Paige’s Green Dream
As the inaugural Paige’s Green Dream Walk approaches, it’s natural to wonder about its future impact. Will this become an annual event, continuing to raise awareness and funds for years to come? How might it evolve to address changing needs in epilepsy research and support?
Regardless of its future form, the walk has already achieved something remarkable. It has transformed a personal tragedy into a source of community strength and unity. It has given voice to those affected by epilepsy and provided a platform for education and understanding.
Most importantly, it has ensured that Paige Holland’s spirit of kindness and her dream of conquering epilepsy live on. Through the efforts of her friends, family, and community, Paige’s legacy continues to touch lives and inspire positive change.
Potential Future Developments
- Expansion to include other epilepsy-related activities and events
- Collaboration with national epilepsy organizations
- Development of year-round epilepsy awareness programs in local schools
- Creation of a scholarship fund in Paige’s name for students affected by epilepsy
In conclusion, Paige’s Green Dream Walk stands as a testament to the power of community, the strength of friendship, and the enduring impact of a life well-lived. It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, we have the capacity to create light – not just for ourselves, but for others as well. As Paige herself believed, making just one person a little happier each day is indeed a day well-lived. Through this event, her community is ensuring that her philosophy continues to brighten lives for years to come.
Moorestown Sisters Honor Late Friend’s Memory
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Community Corner
Paige Holland, a Moorestown High School student, was 17 when she passed away last year from complications due to epilepsy.
Rob Scott, Patch Staff
Paige Holland understood you didn’t need to be a politician, or a wealthy CEO, or a Nobel laureate, to change the world.
“Paige was devoted to making others feel happy, important and loved,” said her mother, Kara. “That was who she was … Even if you make just one person a little happier each day, that is a day well-lived. “
Few knew this better than Alexandra and Kacie Liebman, close friends of Paige who said she was always there for them—to make them smile, or defend them against bullies, or make them her famous rice pudding.
Find out what’s happening in Moorestownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Paige passed away a year ago last week at the age of 17 from complications due to epilepsy, which afflicted her most of her life. Alexandra and Kacie’s mother, Robin, said it was “one of the saddest days” of her daughters’ lives.
And yet, Paige left behind “so many beautiful gifts.”
Find out what’s happening in Moorestownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“She treated every single day like it was a holiday,” said Alexandra, a senior at Moorestown High School, who had been best friends with Paige since 10th grade. “If I had a bad day, Paige always knew how to make me smile.”
Kacie, Alexandra’s younger sister, said Paige was “like our sister.”
“She always thought about others and never about herself,” said the 12-year-old.
It was Kacie, along with her sister, who initially conceived the idea of honoring Paige’s memory, and her dream of beating epilepsy, with a fundraiser.
The Liebman sisters, with the help of their mother and other supporters, organized the Paige’s Green Dream 5k/10k Walk for this Sunday at Moorestown High School. Robin said performing community service is one of the requirements for bat mitzvah, which Kacie recently celebrated.
“There were no other things that she could think to do other than honoring Paige’s dream (of conquering epilepsy),” said Robin.
Kacie hopes not only will the event raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation, but also can dispel some of the misconceptions and stigmas surrounding the affliction.
Kara Holland said she is “so grateful” to the Liebmans and the other supporters and organizers behind the walk.
“It really does help warm our broken hearts,” she said. “We are very grateful and honored.”
Registration starts at 9 a.m., followed by opening remarks from the family and the dedication of a bench bearing Paige’s name outside the high school.
The walk begins at 10 a.m.
You can register for the walk and/or make a donation on the Paige’s Green Dream website. Robin said they’ve raised more than $12,000 so far, between registered walkers and donations.
“We take these very tragic moments, and we can’t change these moments,” said Robin, “but we can make something so positive come out of them.”
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Paige’s Green Dream Walk to raise money and awareness on Nov. 3
Setting out to raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey, two local teens also hope to raise awareness and honor their friend with Paige’s Green Dream Walk.
Paige’s Green Dream Walk will take place on Nov. 3, beginning at 10 a.m. at Moorestown High School.
The walk will start and end at the high school, with vendors such as Cyberonics and the Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey promoting epilepsy awareness and education.
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Choosing November because it’s Epilepsy Awareness Month, Paige’s Green Dream Walk will be held in memory of Paige Holland. Holland was a resident of Moorestown who passed away last October due to complications of epilepsy.
Holland was 17 years old at the time of her passing and maintained a close friendship with Robin Liebman’s daughter Alexandra Liebman, who is also 17 years old.
“They were really inseparable,” said Robin Liebman.
Tagging along with Alexandra Liebman was her younger sister, 12-year-old Kacie Liebman, who also befriended Holland through her older sister.
Following Holland’s untimely passing, Kacie Liebman asked her parents if she could start a walk to honor Holland’s memory. Completing her Mitzvoh, a selfless good deed, for her upcoming Bat Mitzvah, Robin Liebman said her daughter had considered doing another project, but immediately knew Paige’s Green Dream Walk was what she wanted to do.
Alexandra Liebman quickly began to help her sister, knowing that Holland had always talked of finding a cure for epilepsy.
“With Alex, it was only natural for her to help since she was so close with Paige,” Robin Liebman said.
Robin Liebman also said that she can recall many times when Holland had spoken of finding a cure for epilepsy and said that Paige “wanted to be a champion for those with epilepsy.”
“My sister and I feel so great,” Alexandra Liebman said. “ I feel like we’re living out her dream to the fullest.”
The Liebmans met with the Moorestown Police Department and Theresa Miller to secure their blessing.
In addition, a letter was also sent to the Moorestown Public School District Board of Education, since the walk was planned to begin and end at Moorestown High School.
After securing the blessing of both the schools and township officials, Robin Liebman said that she then reached out to the Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey, the organization to which all proceeds from the walk will be donated.
Finally securing the permissions they needed, they then went to the Holland family.
“They were only happy to be part of the process,” Robin Liebman said.
With Holland’s parents and grandmother serving as active members on the official Paige’s Green Dream Committee, it was then time for the committee to find sponsors.
Robin Liebman explained that after sending letters, Paige’s Green Dream Walk received a number of sponsors, including Wegmans, which will be donating water bottles and bananas. In addition, Capital Health will also be supplying t-shirts for the event, which will be given to the first 300 registrants who donate more than $10 to the Paige’s Green Dream.
“The companies in the area have been very generous,” Robin Liebman said.
The walk will begin with an introduction, which will include a speech from both Alexandra Liebman and Kacie Liebman. Following the introduction will be a dedication ceremony for a bench, which will be permanently affixed to the front of Moorestown High School.
The walk will officially kick off with the playing of a Green Day song “Time of Your Life,” a song from Holland’s favorite band.
Robin Liebman said that the response from the community has been “heartfelt” with already 130 people registered for the walk. She said that by the day of the walk, she expects the total number of walkers to be approximately 300.
“I could think of nothing more meaningful to us,” Kacie Liebman said.
Alexandra Liebman also added that her hope for Paige’s Green Dream Walk is to not only raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey, but also give people a new perspective for those who are diagnosed with epilepsy.
Paige Holland’s mother, Kara Holland also released the following statement in regard to the walk:
“We are deeply grateful for the efforts of Paige’s friends, classmates, their families and the entire community in helping bring Paige’s Green Dream to life. Not everyone is born to become a noble laureate, but each one of us can make a difference in the world. Even if you make just one person a little happier each day, which is a day well lived. Paige understood that.
