Charity Walk to Support the Share Her Spirit Nonprofit Shines Brightly in 2024

You may recall us telling the heartwarming work that our own Lori Brouillet has championed to pay tribute to her daughter Hailey and to raise both money and awareness for causes near and dear to Hailey’s heart in her memory.

Share Her Spirit was the charity that Lori, with the help of friends and family, founded from more than $6,000 in community donations following Hailey's tragic passing in a car accident. Once Lori was able to raise additional funds, she was able to carry on her daughter’s love of studying abroad to establish an annual scholarship at Oakland for students wanting to travel overseas to bolster their education. 

If there were anything positive to come of her untimely passing, it would be “the gift of life” that Hailey would be able to pass on to another critical patient in need of a lifesaving organ transplant. She would have no way of knowing it at the time, but her generosity — and yes, her spirit — would live on in ways that future lives could never possibly thank her enough for. 

It was in that spirit that Lori and her friends and family became actively involved with the Gift of Life nonprofit organization. Each year, Lori and her team walk the annual 5k charity event hosted by Gift of Life, the LIFEWalk/Run event on Belle Isle in Detroit, all decked out in team shirts that pay tribute to Hailey and her unmistakable spirit. 

This year’s walk was held on a beautiful sunny afternoon in July, and it was another successful year of fundraising and paying tribute to Hailey’s memory.

“It’s important to us that we help raise awareness for this important cause, both to further their mission as well as to carry on Hailey’s spirit and memory in a way that exemplifies her generosity and love of helping others,” Lori says of her daughter. “She was a terrific person, a beautiful girl, and a young woman of great faith.

This year’s walk did have one notable addition from last year’s: “We had a new walker/stroller this year,” Lori beams. “My good friend brought her new granddaughter!”

If you would like to learn more or support Share Her Spirit, like their Facebook page.You can also click here to learn more about other charitable and community initiatives the GCB Team partakes in, both individually and as a company.

Want to learn more about becoming an organ donor?

From the Michigan Organ Donor Registry website: 

How do I sign up to become an organ and tissue donor?

Signing up to be an organ donor is easy. You may enroll using the Online Michigan Organ Donor Registry. You may also sign up when you renew or request a replacement license or state ID card through Online Services or when you obtain a replacement or renew your driver's license or ID card at a Secretary of State office. Michigan law supports your right to make your own donation decision - no further consent is required once you enroll on the registry. However, it is still important to talk to your family about your desire to be an organ and tissue donor, so it is aware of your intention and to avoid any delays or confusion.

At the time of death, if you have joined the Michigan Organ Donor registry, your family will be approached and informed of your wishes. If you are not already registered, your family will be asked to consider the option of organ and tissue donation. A donation coordinator from Gift of Life Michigan will explain the donation process and answer questions.

By law, all hospitals must have a program to approach the families of potential organ and tissue donors and offer them the option of donation if the person is not already registered. This law was formulated to respond to the nation's critical lack of organ and tissue donors.