A Brighter Future in Sight

Our daughter has been gone for almost three years now. We miss her terribly. Soon after she passed away, we established The Carman Lay Foundation, in her honor, to raise money to help children like Carman achieve what is possible and what sometimes seems impossible.

Carman inspired us – her family, friends, and teachers – to go out and see what kind of changes we could make that would help enrich the lives of children at the Maryland School for the Blind (MSB). Without any fundraising experience, we put on our first benefit, Swirl for a Girl, and raised more than $27,000. We decided to use this money to fund a music room for the students at MSB.

Carman loved music, and the night before she died, she danced to the music of Collective Soul. Since then, whenever I hear Collective Soul, I immediately think of Carman. She is with us through music, and that is why funding a music room and bringing music to MSB students is a natural fit. When we decided to hold the Swirl for a Girl fundraising event, I thought, “Why not try and get Collective Soul to come play at our benefit.” I took a chance and took a trip to Atlanta to hear the lead singer, Ed Roland, play, and in the process, met – and have become friends with – Ed and his wife. While they were not able to play at the first Swirl for a Girl, I will keep trying in the hopes that they might be able to attend our benefit in the future. Their music continues to bring much comfort to my family and me. Just like Carman, I achieved something that seemed impossible – I met and befriended a musician whose music means so much to me.

Over the next few months, we will be announcing details of our second Swirl for a Girl benefit. Please join us in making a difference in the lives of children at MSB. As we experienced, it is amazing how much children can grow, learn, live, and experience with your help.