Sean and Jennifer McGrath, along with their son, Nate, started the Soar with Grace Foundation after their daughter, Grace, died from a rare form of pediatric brain cancer. The nonprofit will host the Race Against the Odds 5K for the second year in a row on June 1 at Weddington United Methodist Church.

Sponsored by the nonprofit Soar with Grace Foundation, the race will take place June 1, a Saturday, at 8 a.m. at Weddington United Methodist Church, 13901 Providence Road. The cost to participate is $25 for adults and $15 for those 17 years old and younger. Racers can register online at www.RaceAgainstTheOdds.com. Proceeds from the event benefit the nonprofit The Cure Starts Now for pediatric brain tumor research.

Grace was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) – a rare form of pediatric brain cancer – in late 2009 and lived until August 2010. Because of the location of her tumor, as well as limited funding for research on rare pediatric cancers, there weren’t many treatment options.

“You quickly realize how limited you are in terms of how to take care of your child,” Sean McGrath, Grace’s father, said. “It’s not just our family impacted (but) 250 children annually.”

Striving to both honor Grace’s memory and help those battling pediatric brain cancer around the world, McGrath and his wife, Jennifer, launched the Soar with Grace Foundation. The nonprofit raises money to fund pediatric brain tumor research, promotes pediatric brain tumor awareness with an emphasis on DIPG and provides emotional and financial support for families facing these illnesses.

“We started the foundation for three reasons – to honor the legacy of our daughter, create awareness and raise much-needed funding for this disease,” McGrath said.

Soar with Grace hosts two big fundraisers each year – a tennis event in the fall and the Race Against the Odds 5K during the spring.

“We tried to pick two things that Gracie loved to do,” McGrath said. “She loved to run and she loved to play tennis.”

Race Against the Odds events are held nationwide and benefit The Cure Starts Now, Soar with Grace’s partner nonprofit. Last year was not only the first time the nonprofit had hosted the 5K, but it also was the first Race

Against the Odds event held in the Charlotte area. McGrath said he hoped to see about 250 people show up but was astonished when more than 700 people participated, raising more than $51,000.

This year’s race will follow the same course as last year’s event, beginning at Weddington United Methodist Church and continuing down Weddington Church Road, according to race organizer Jennifer Lassiter. Chick-fil-A, one of the race’s sponsors, will be at the event with food and refreshments, and other personnel will be on site to ensure runners’ safety.

“It’s a very family-friendly event,” Lassiter said. “There will be tons of kids from (local schools), and all their friends come and run.”

Lassiter said the race falls at an appropriate time of the year, as May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month.

“Even though the race is in June, we chose (the date) so the race could be promoted during Brain Tumor Awareness Month,” she said, adding the foundation hopes to hold next year’s race in May.

For Grace’s parents and 12-year-old brother, Nate, hosting the race has been somewhat of a healing process.

“It gives us a sense of purpose, and if we can take one small step or several giant steps to help, we’re learning to live for something much greater than ourselves,” McGrath said.

The proposed 52-lot subdivision would be built between Park Providence and Barrington. Each lot would be a minimum of 12,000 square feet.

Residents in the new community would have to use Cutters Spring Drive through Park Providence or Fairgreen Avenue through Barrington to get to their homes. The subdivision would not have its own entrance on Bonds Grove Church or Providence roads. Shea Homes, which constructed Barrington, would be responsible for the new project.

“If people find out there is a cut-through (road) they will use that to get to Lowe’s on Providence Road, using our community as a cut-through,” a Park Providence resident said during a recent town meeting.

But the project’s developer said the connections are vital for future projects in the area.

“Connectivity is one of the major planning goals of any subdivision. … You do not want disconnected neighborhoods and you want connectivity,” an engineer for the developer said, arguing against giving the neighborhood its own connection to the main road.  “… From a transportation perspective, we would rather not have another connection to Bonds Grove Church Road.”

The town’s planning department has unanimously recommended rezoning the 23.6 acres to make way for the subdivision. The Waxhaw Board of Commissioners has yet to vote on the project and must ultimately make the decision to approve the project.

Mayor Daune Gardner said, at this point in the process, commissioners are more concerned about zoning the area, which was annexed into town on March 26, and less concerned about the subdivision’s density and connectivity. But residents said they were never given a fair chance to take part in those annexation discussions, during which it was decided the new subdivision could not have an entrance onto Bonds Grove Church Road.

People are concerned the subdivision entrance could have a negative impact on Bonds Grove Church and Providence roads, which locals say are already overcrowded.

Residents also are concerned about high density in the area with the addition of the proposed subdivision and another possible subdivision coming to the other side of Bonds Grove Church, in Marvin. Another concern addressed the tree barrier between the neighborhoods. Developer Michael Shea said the project would include a 35-foot buffer to ensure proper separation between the three developments.

The board will vote on the rezoning petition at the Tuesday, May 28, meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Museum of the Waxhaws, 8215 Waxhaw Hwy.  No timeline has been set for the mandatory subdivision hearings Shea Homes must hold before beginning construction in the neighborhood.

Town council members have resumed discussions on building a community center in Indian Trail that would include a town hall for Indian Trail employees. A fund was created in 2004 to save money for the creation of a community center, according to town manager Joe Fivas, and the fund currently has $1.4 million that can only be used for the construction of such a facility.

Around 30 people work for the town, many of whom are housed in a converted garage building across Blythe Boulevard from the shed-sized building town meetings are held in and the slightly larger building that now hosts the Indian Trail Cultural Arts Center.

Councilman Chris King would like to find a new home for government but sees a community center as much more than just a town hall. He envisions the facility as a place for senior events, a spot for a post office if the town loses its current post office to federal budget cuts, a satellite office for the Department of Veterans Affairs and the North Carolina Department of Transportation and perhaps home for an advanced technology center for a local community college.

The center could go a long way in an effort to rebrand Indian Trail in addition to the town’s two new parks – also proposed by King – and a number of road and sidewalk projects. The councilman said it’s important Indian Trail embraces its position as the largest town in Union County and put the projects in place to show the town in a positive light.

“I honestly feel there is a negative perception on our town,” King said. “A step in the right direction to start to move on from those negative perceptions is to erect a new community center. It’s a cornerstone of a town, and right now our cornerstone is a converted garage.”

King acknowledges the cost of the project – between $3 million and $5 million – is a hurdle to getting the support he needs. Paying off the bond for the two new parks projects is already responsible for roughly half of the town’s capital reserve fund. The fund was created during last year’s budget talks when King proposed a 4-cent tax increase in part to pay for parks. King said he opted to push for parks first because the town had just narrowly voted down a park bond the year before.

King is in favor of financing the community center project on a five-year agreement, which would leave the town paying around $800,000 the first year of the term, decreasing over the five years. A longer agreement would mean smaller payments, but more total money over time. He is not in favor of another bond.

He’s yet to see what kind of support he’ll get from others on council, though Councilwoman Darlene Luther expressed her wishes for a center at a recent council meeting. Councilman David Waddell is against spending money on the project, as well as creating more space for Indian Trail to grow government. Mayor Pro Tem David Cohn is on the fence, though he feels it’s a project the town should put on the back burner for now.

“I’d love to see a town with a community center, town hall – just a real functional building where we could have something for elderly people and just a great place,” Cohn said. “I think we have a lot of stuff going on in town right now with the parks and everything else we have going on. I’d like to see us concentrate on (a community center) in a few years, but just not right now.”

King said he’ll soon ask council for their agreement on where a community center could go. He’d like to see it added to the under-construction Chestnut Park. If King gets that far, he’d then like to see some of the $1.4 million in the community center fund used to hire a company to start on designs for a building. He envisions a center similar to what Matthews and Mint Hill have, something that will give visitors to town a better impression of Indian Trail.

“We already have a town hall?” King said, anticipating arguments against the community center. “Yeah, we do. But it’s basically a renovated building just for the purpose of saying we have a town hall. … For the out-of-towners who have never been to Indian Trail but are here for a presentation or something … their perception of our government is that we conduct official town business out of a converted garage. I have a fundamental issue with that.

We need to get past that. We have to have a town hall, period.”

The community center is not included in this year’s budget, which was presented earlier this month to town council. A public forum has been scheduled for May 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the town’s civic building, on Navajo Trail, so residents can give feedback on the proposed budget.

The council voted 4-0 in support of the Hemby Road location behind the Providence Volunteer Fire Department instead of the Weddington Matthews Road location behind the Weddington Corners shopping center during their Monday, May 13, meeting. The resolution is non-binding, Mayor Pro Tem Daniel Barry said, and council’s opinion could change in the future depending on any additional information town leaders receive.

“The Union County Board of Commissioners passed a motion stating that the two sites were equivalent and they would like for (Weddington town council) to provide them with some preference,” Barry said. “… Based on the info we had at this time our preference would be to put it on the Hemby site, but we don’t hold ourselves bound to that decision.”

Before moving ahead with construction, Union County Public Works must go through the Weddington zoning process, which includes another public information meeting in addition to the meeting already held.  No meetings will be scheduled until Public Works submits a formal zoning petition to the town, and residents have a chance to comment about the proposed locations.

According to Public Works Director Ed Goscicki, the water tower locations were chosen based on the need for higher pressure in the northern part of town and to help provide enough water to the growing population.  Cost estimates for the Hemby Road location are around $375,000 for the 1.5 million-gallon tower, and the Weddington Matthews Road location could cost around $500,000.  Both locations have willing property sellers, and the county has a 60-day option on the properties.

Many Weddington residents raised concerns about the two locations during the initial meeting with Public Works, but Goscicki said there was no better location between the two – only the least protested location.  More than 20 of the 40 people present showed support for the Hemby Road site during the meeting with Public Works, with others supporting the Weddington Matthews Road site and the Kings Property site, which is no longer an option for the project.

Those in favor of the Hemby Road site did not want the tower disrupting the Weddington Corners shopping center or being the first thing seen when driving into town.  The water tower will be around 180 feet tall regardless of the location, with the Hemby Road location being slightly shorter due to high elevation in that area.

Construction is not scheduled to begin until later this year, and the tower will take around a year and half to be completed and start functioning.  Public Works has looked at projects 30 years out and says there should not be a need for another water tower during that time.

The Union County Board of Commissioners should discuss the Weddington water tower during their next meeting on Monday, May 20, at 7 p.m. at the Union County Government Center, 500 N. Main St. in Monroe.

Town manager Joe Fivas made a quick pass through his proposed budget Tuesday night, May 14, that looks to continue a number of projects made possible in part by the 4-cent tax increase proposed during last year’s budget talks – namely a number of sidewalk projects, largely funded by air quality grants; road additions and improvements as part of the town’s Pathways 2 Progress initiative; and the Chestnut and Crooked Creek at Indian Trail parks.

The proposed budget includes the $35,000 for a law enforcement needs assessment Mayor Michael Alvarez recently asked for and town council members and Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey supported. The budget does not include money for additional deputies at this time, with council having passed on a suggestion to add deputies in anticipation of the needs assessment’s findings. If the assessment remains part of the proposed budget when it’s approved, potentially on June 11, town leaders will discuss exactly what the assessment will target. It’s anticipated to show Indian Trail officials how many more, if any, deputies are needed to keep residents safe and improve response times to where town council wants them to be. Council members then would have to vote on how to fund any additional deputies, at a cost of around $80,000 per deputy.

The budget proposed on Tuesday night does not include any money for a town community center, which as discussed could include an Indian Trail town hall. Councilman Chris King, a proponent of the community center, said he will bring the topic up for discussion once the budget is adopted, meaning it likely won’t be pushed onto the 2013-14 fiscal budget.

Fivas, speaking on the potential costs of a community center after presenting his budget, said the town already has $1.4 million set aside for such a project, which would likely cost $3 million to $5 million. If town council agreed on a five-year loan for the project, Fivas said payments would start at between $800,000 to $900,000 a year and decrease over time. A 10-year loan would leave the town paying around $500,000 a year, decreasing each year, and a 15-year loan would start at $350,000. Council did not give any feedback Tuesday night on the center other than King’s comment about discussing the project at a later date.

Council did not instruct Fivas to make any changes to his proposed budget on Tuesday night, though they could between now and a scheduled vote in June. The public workshop, scheduled for May 28, also could result in changes, as could a discussed feedback session Alvarez may hold before the June vote.

The town’s proposed budget’s larger projects are mostly “infrastructure driven,” Fivas said Tuesday night, referring to the road and sidewalk projects that allow the town to “start down the pathway of tacking some of those traffic congestion issues,” and the two parks. The town manager credited the efficiency of staff – some 30 employees in Indian Trail compared to hundreds in similarly sized towns like Monroe and Matthews – for being able to present a balanced budget with an 18.5-cent per $100 of taxable property tax rate. The next lowest tax rate for a city of similar size to Indian Trail in the state is in Matthews, at 30.25 cents. Matthews has proposed a 2-cent tax increase this year.

Part of that is due to funding created by the town’s new deal with Waste Pro for solid waste services. The contract will save the town $2.5 million over five years. But the town also is able to keep its tax rate low, Fivas pointed out, due to the “concerning” amount of money the town relies on from intergovernmental coffers compared to other towns.

“If something happened with those state revenues … that will cause a huge disproportionate impact in Indian Trail,” Fivas said. The state is currently considering some bills that could impact the amount of state funding Indian Trail gets, though Fivas said other sources could supplement that money. “Our dependence on intergovernmental funds is concerning to staff,” the presentation read Tuesday night.

Fivas also was clear Tuesday night that the town’s flat tax rate doesn’t leave a lot of room for new projects in Indian Trail – though the recently created capital reserve fund is already working on a number of issues.  “We have a lot of needs,” Fivas said, pointing to a six-year capital investment plan that includes several items the town may eventually approve.

The proposed budget should be available on the town’s website as of Thursday, May 16, Fivas said Tuesday night. Copies also will be available at the Union West Regional Library.

Town council also heard an update on design of the Chestnut Park, which is currently under construction. Council saw design drawings that show the four tennis court and four sand volleyball courts separated by a quad that could be used for musical performances or a farmers’ market. Council members said they were pleased with designs at this point and instructed the developer to continue work. The park could open later this year.

Find more information on the budget and park project at the town’s website, www.indiantrailnc.org.

Council members reviewed the proposed budget, which is almost $8 million, on Tuesday, May 14. Town manager Mike McLaurin discussed the spending package and his recommendations to commissioners, though no residents commented on the proposal at the meeting.  The Thursday workshop is one of two meetings where town leaders hope to get more input. The first was held Wednesday, May 15.

“As we move forward, this town is no longer a small town.  It’s a growing, thriving town and we are going to have to … start to look several years in advance,” McLaurin said, foreshadowing possible future spending the town could consider.

Taxes for residents will stay at 34 cents per $100, with solid waste fees remaining at $40 per year, although some departments will see an increase in their budget for the coming year.

The Waxhaw Police Department could see a large increase in their budget, with a proposed $1,750,999, in order to fund the new police facility commissioners are currently working on.  The police department also is requesting the replacement of two vehicles.

Another increase that could be seen in the coming year’s budget is a 3.5 percent increase in pay for the mayor and board of commissioners, something McLaurin said hasn’t happened in many years.

“The bottom line is that it’s been several years since we’ve had an increase, and just the amount of work that I see and the staff sees … like everybody, you deserve to be fairly compensated for that,” McLaurin said.

Currently, the board of commissioners is scheduled to vote on the 2013-14 budget during their May 28 meeting, almost a month before the June 30 deadline, at 6:30 p.m. at the Museum of the Waxhaws, 8215 Waxhaw Hwy.  A copy of the proposed budget is available on the town’s website at www.waxhaw.com. Click on “Administration – Finance and Budget” under the “Departments” tab.

The intersection of Old Monroe and Waxhaw Indian Trail roads already is a problem for drivers in the morning and evening rush hours. Some Indian Trail leaders worry a planned apartment complex nearby will only add to the problems even with an upgrade planned for the busy Old Monroe Road in the near future. The apartment complex is one of two currently planned for the town.

The projects – 216 units on 17 acres at 4500 Old Monroe Road and 144 units on more than 19.5 acres at 1609 Wesley Chapel-Stouts Road – would burden those two roads and others in Indian Trail if approved by the town, council member Chris King said. Town council must approve rezoning the land before the developers can start work and King already has been joined by Councilman David Waddell in voicing concern.

“Our infrastructure is not prepared for that kind of dwelling,” King said of the two projects. Though he acknowledged the apartment complexes and more residents could be good for local businesses, King said the developers have a long way to go before they’ll get his support on a rezoning vote.

“Unless they can produce some compelling evidence that is going to prove to me that, as a result of these apartment complexes, traffic will actually get better and that property values in the area will go up … they won’t have a chance to win me over during the rezoning process,” King said. “If they want to ante up and help widen Old Monroe Road, that might change things.”

The Old Monroe Road project, named Glenn Oaks, also would include two 8,250-square-foot retail buildings, according to the proposal developers Cameron Helms and Larry Sagehorn submitted to the town’s planning department.  The complex would go near the proposed home for a Family Dollar store on Old Monroe Road across the street from Heritage Funeral Home, and Helms said he is in negotiations with several well-known establishments “excited and looking forward to bringing their dining and retail options to Indian Trail” if the apartment complex is approved.

“Feedback from the business sector has been very positive,” Helms said in an email. “With this site being surrounded by commercial property and located in the town center, they love the thought of residents being able to walk to their place of business.”

As for traffic, Helms said he understands the concerns.

“Having lived on Old Monroe for close to 40 years and running a business here, I understand the traffic as well as anyone,” he said. “ … At an approximate cost (of) around $300,000, we will do what is required by NCDOT and meet or exceed the recommendations of the traffic impact study.”

The study, conducted by Progressive Design Group in April, said the project would significantly contribute to a decline in service at the intersection of Old Monroe and Waxhaw Indian Trail roads – an intersection already considered to be close to capacity. The project, which the study estimated would add 2,301 vehicle trips per day to area roads, would contribute to the intersection dropping from an E level of service grade to a F grade by 2018.

“The results of the capacity analysis indicate the need for major roadway improvements in order to bring the intersection of Old Monroe Road at Waxhaw Indian Trail Road to an acceptable level of service,” the report said.

While acknowledging that Old Monroe Road is scheduled to be widened from Interstate 485 to Waxhaw Indian Trail Road starting in 2018, the report said additional improvements are needed from the developer – including a westbound 100-foot-long left-turn lane on Old Monroe Road and a southbound 50-foot-long turn lane on Waxhaw Indian Trail Road.

The other proposed project, the Apartments By The Lake, would go at the corner of Wesley Chapel-Stouts and Rogers roads. A traffic analysis for the project was not available and developer Jimmy Bostic could not be reached for comment by press deadline.

Union Power held the first of two planned forums Tuesday, May 8, to meet with residents and receive feedback before drafting options for the new power line connecting Weddington and Marvin. The power company says the line is a necessity due to growth in western Union County over the last 10 years.  The new power line, like those that run along streets on power poles, has to be added between the two towns’ substations to prevent the infrastructure from being overwhelmed and potentially causing mass power outages in Weddington and Marvin.

Union Power officials hope the meetings, which follow a mailing to area property owners explaining why the line is necessary, help paint a better picture of what an acceptable path for the line would be. The company has already surveyed the area looking for landmarks that need to be avoided and is now looking for public input before finalizing any plans.

Trish Standon, a Lake Forest Preserve resident, said she was concerned about the line’s potential impact on the health of area residents and to property values.

“I don’t think there has been any conclusive evidence as to whether there are negative (health) effects,” Standon said. “There also is a negative effect on property values.  For the town of Weddington to get a water tower and power lines it’s going to bring the essence of the town down.”

Union Power tried to address the health concerns at Tuesday’s meeting with graphics showing there are more electromagnetic radiation, or EMFs, coming from a cell phone, fan or hairdryer than from the type of power line they plan to construct.

Another resident on Tuesday was more concerned about the aesthetics of the project.

“There are so many obstacles like creeks and streams and ponds in Weddington you don’t want to disturb,” said Steve Westphall, who lives in Aero Plantation in Weddington.  “(Union Power) just needs to balance the needs of power and the desire for natural beauty.”

The next meeting will be held in late summer or early fall to get resident feedback on 15 to 20 possible routes for the line.  Union Power leaders say cost is not an obstacle at this point. They’re more concerned about finding the best route.

Union Power leaders say the project must happen some time soon – no matter what path is chosen. The demand for electricity in central and western Union County has increased more than 30 percent since 2004. And with only one 100,000-volt transmission line serving the area, a problem with the line could cause simultaneous power outages at all five power substations in the area, which could affect up to 16,000 people.

Union Power hopes to have a path chosen by the end of 2013.  The line should be up and running by 2016. Union Power leaders will not have to go through a rezoning process or receive approval from the council in either Weddington or Marvin before constructing the line.

A notice will be sent before the next meeting to all residents living within the project’s 10.2-square-mile zone.

Many residents at Tuesday’s meeting also were concerned about the new water tower, which will either be located near the Weddington Corners shopping center on Weddington Road or off of Hemby Road behind the Providence Volunteer Fire Department.  Both Union Power and Union County Public Works say the additions are necessary with the growth seen in Weddington and the increase in pressure on both utilities.  Public Works hopes to chose a location for the tower within the next month.

The agreement, which lays out the first half of the renovation project, authorizes Weddington to provide up to $220,000 to the fire department for the intial phase. Council members said the final price may be lower, quoting an earlier estimate of around $197,000. The $220,000 number was approved in case the actual renovations are more than the estimate town leaders were given, Councilmember Pamela Hadley said.

This agreement only sets aside money for renovations of the back building on the property, though the main building also needs renovations because it is not up to code. The back building must be completed before renovations start on the main building so firefighters have a place to stay while on duty. Council has yet to receive an estimate on the second phase of the project. The fire department must make a formal request to the town for the main building work before discussions start on an agreement.

The Providence Fire Department will present invoices for the work on the rear building and the town will write a check directly to the Providence VFD. The town will not be responsible for paying vendors directly.

After work is complete on both facilities, the property and building – currently owned by Providence VFD  – will become a town asset and be leased back to the fire department.

“Normally you just give the fire department (money) and they renovate the building and they still own it.  What we are doing is saying the taxpayers are going to own that building,” Mayor Pro Tem Daniel Barry said.  “… Then we are going to rent the building back on a long-term lease to (the fire department).”

Weddington officials budgeted $50,000 in the 2012-13 budget for the fire department’s capital needs. All new expenditures for the project do not have to be worked out prior to the approval of the new budget, which must be completed by July 1.  Weddington has given the fire department $51,559 so far for upgrades to the sprinklers and water main systems and $5,300 for the tap-on fee, which comes from Union County Public Works for use of county water.

All payments made so far to the fire department are part of the $220,000, and both items already paid for will not have to be done again when renovating the main building.

“Basically this (roughly) $55,000 of the $197,000 will not have to be spent on the front building,” Hadley said.

Council will hold a public hearing for any interested residents to answer all questions and listen to concerns before signing an agreement for the renovations to the main building.  Town leaders will set a date for the meeting after receiving the estimate from the Providence VFD.

Isabella Santos, seen here with red hair at a 5K in Charlotte for her foundation, died of neuroblastoma last year. The foundation in her honor keeps working to help other children in need.

Family members, friends and neighbors rallied around Isabella during her battle with cancer and have continued to support her legacy, the Isabella Santos Foundation, with lemonade stands, 5K races and, now, a major charity yard sale.

The yard sale, organized by the Santos’s neighbor and Marvin Creek resident Andrea Isaac, is scheduled for Saturday, April 27, from 7 a.m. to noon at 500 Smokey Hollow Drive in Waxhaw. All proceeds from the event go to support the Isabella Santos Foundation.

Isabella was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a malignant tumor that develops from nerve tissue, at age 2 and died in late June 2012 at age 7. Shortly after Isabella’s diagnosis, her friends and family started the nonprofit Isabella Santos Foundation, which raises money for neuroblastoma research and supports organizations like the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte.

“We’re a small foundation, so we’re always trying to come up with any way to raise money to keep funding a lot of the stuff that we do for cancer research and helping families who have young children with cancer,” Isaac said.

As Isaac and others who help with the all-volunteer nonprofit considered different fundraising options, they came up with the idea to see if community members have any items they’d like to donate to a charity yard sale instead of asking people to donate money.

Isaac began by sending out an email via her neighborhood’s internal website. From there it spread like wildfire via Facebook and word of mouth and items began pouring in, she said.

“The response has been absolutely overwhelming,” Isaac said, adding the items being stored for the sale have filled her large basement. “It’s taken on a mind of its own. It’s become a monster; bigger than anything we could have imagined times 10.”

Isaac said the sale will feature baby products, furniture, decorations, electronics, clothes and shoes for all ages, holiday décor, books, bicycles, lawn equipment and more.

“It’s great, expensive stuff people could sell themselves and keep the money, but they’ve wanted the money to go to the foundation,” she said.

The items will remain in her basement until the time of the sale, when she and volunteer helpers will move the merchandise outside to her yard. There also will be refreshments and breakfast food for sale, with proceeds benefiting the foundation.

Isaac said the original goal was to raise $1,000 through the sale, but volunteers who have seen the donations and helped price the items have already committed to buying $1,100 worth of merchandise.

“My goal was $1,000 and we’ve already exceeded that,” Isaac said.

Isaac, whose children used to play with Isabella, admits while the charity yard sale is an exciting endeavor to raise money for a good cause, it’s also an emotional time for everyone involved. She said the main thing she wants to accomplish through the sale is honoring Isabella.

“It’s definitely emotional because the foundation is run by (Isabella’s) parents,” Isaac said. “It’s obviously been an emotional year, but I think just seeing the outpouring of love and prayers and, just, giving that people do through the foundation is amazing. It gives you faith in people and reminds you that there are good people out there.”

For more information on the Isabella Santos Foundation, go to www.isabellasantosfoundation.com.