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First meeting of Kait’s Angels planned to help organize summer plans, celebrate Kaitlyn Doorhy’s life

If only everything were different, Kaitlyn Doorhy would’ve been home from college right now, fully engaged in the community, laughing with her family and friends, and helping others with her huge heart and bright smile.

If only.

The words have echoed countless times after tragedy struck and Kait lost her life last August while away at college. Hearts have broken and tears have flowed endlessly as all who love her have tried to cope with unspeakable loss.

Seeking to create good in the wake of a devastating nightmare, the community has come together to create Kait’s Angels, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed to honor Kaitlyn with acts of kindness in her memory.

The first meeting of the group is planned for Friday, May 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the Mattituck-Cutchogue school auditorium.

The kick-off event is slated to cover a wide range of topics, including the history and structure of the organization, goals, fundraising plans, and upcoming events.

Still needed are committee members; if anyone has an interest in joining the group or becoming a committee member, information is available on the Kait’s Angels website.

Also at the meeting, the group will assemble “Kait‘s Kits” member packs.  The 10 piece kit will contain various unique items and printed materials in exchange for a donation and will serve as the first fundraising endeavor.

Next month, to celebrate Kait’s 21st birthday, the group will host designer handbag wingo on June 12, with a special champagne toast in her honor. A poker run will take place on July 26, with online registration beginning the first week in June. Information on all events is available on the Kait’s Angels website

“Kait was such a valuable member of the North Fork and we just can’t lose that,” said one member of the group. “On a large scale level, what we do helps the whole community, on a personal level, it keeps us close to her. Our lives change for the better every day with every person we help. We definitely understand why Kaitlyn loved being the angel she was, it just feels great.”

The non-profit group was first announced in November; a Facebook page and website were unveiled.

“Angel Acts”, random acts of kindness to touch the lives of others, as well as events to help those in need, are the goals of the group. Kait’s Angels will feature youth programs, with an eye toward imbuing young people with positive values such as honesty, responsibility, compassion, positivity, ambition, productivity and kindness, traits that shone through in Kaitlyn.

The group’s “Fork it Forward” initiative is campaign that partners up with a different small local business every month to “spread a little joy and a message of random generosity to individual people in our community. Every month a local business, such as a local pizza shop, coffee shop, or small restaurant, with the help of Kait’s Angels, will ‘fork it forward,’” according to the Kait’s Angels website.

According to the group who founded Kait’s Angels, “Kait was a huge loss to the community. She had no intention of leaving the North Fork behind; she planned to summer out here. A vivacious young girl and woman like that is just so valuable to a small community like this and can serve as an inspiration to anyone that meets her. Because of her inspiring life we want we create as many ‘angels’ as she was, and is, within the community. We encourage values like positivity, honesty, random acts of kindness, volunteering, hard work and productivity, to inspire you and those around you. The idea is to set a great example, as Kait did, to inspire others, especially young people. Positive and kindness are huge. Hard work and goal-setting, ambition and persistence.”

Later in the year, a concert will be held in the fall, and a gala is slated for the winter.

The events will help to keep donations flowing, all with an eye toward helping others around town, in Kait’s name.

“Our goal is just to provide a better quality of life within the community and provide a positive and limitless environment for young people to grow in,” organizers said. “We want young kids to have every opportunity to achieve the same type of direction and success that Kait did. Kait is just not the type of person you can forget, and if we can try to do one thing that she would do from up there, it’s this.”

The hope is that other communities will start their own chapters of Kait’s Angels.

“This organization is something that not only helps her close friends and family but others from the community and all over as well,” said Brittany Tumulty, Kait’s friend an an organizer of the group. “We needed to do this because she had so much passion and was going to accomplish every goal she wanted, so by having ‘Kait’s Angels,’ we can almost continue her legacy and help others realize their full potential along the way, as well.”

Added co-founder Kim Fenoy, “This whole start-up means so much to us on so many different levels. Kait was truly larger than life itself; she had so much potential and life in her that I feel like we have to keep on doing just as she had been. Kait was sassy and sharp, but also deeply compassionate, kind and generous. She really was and will continue to be a true inspiration and that’s what I hope to get out of this; to spread a sense of inspiration to be a better you.”

Those wishing to become an “Angel” can do so for free by filling out an application on the site. For additional information, contact info@kaitsangels.org.

In December, the group hosted its first event, a holiday food and cold weather clothing drive; donated goods were distributed to people in need in the community and helped to fill up local food pantries.

In the months after Kaitlyn’s tragic death, her memory lives on, and her legacy of love continues to touch the North Fork community. Kaitlyn, 20, died in August from injuries sustained after being hit by a car near her college, Sacred Heart University.

In November, the Mattituck Cutchogue PTA dedicated “Kaitlyn’s Buddy Bench” in her memory to the children of Cutchogue East Elementary School.

Last fall, a sea of those who loved the former Mattituck Strawberry Queen flocked to Sacred Heart, where a football game was played in her honor during the school’s Family Weekend.

Sacred Heart University also announced that the H.W. Wilson Foundation has given $100,000 to Sacred Heart University to establish an endowed scholarship in memory of Kaitlyn.

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