On Sept. 3, 2025, 15-year-old Alana Vanmeter of Genoa died unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism.
Her parents, Sarah and Adam Vanmeter, remember her as an exceptionally kind, highly involved student who quickly befriended others and looked closely after her peers.
"She was very much active in her school district," said her mother, Sarah Vanmeter. "She did the Impact Club, color guard, dance team. The year she passed, she was the president of Writer's Workshop."
According to her parents, Alana also chaperoned young children during their bus routes and often made sure her fellow students had food and water.
They even recalled a time she dressed up as the Grinch for their local library.
Three days before she died, Alana asked her mother what she might do were she to pass suddenly.
"She was very, very insistent that I tell her what I would do if she were to suddenly not be here," said Sarah Vanmeter. "After her and I went back and forth a bit, I finally said, if something were to happen to you unexpectedly, I'd want to do a scholarship fund."
When Alana died last September, her parents sat down to ensure a scholarship was created in her honor.
The Vanmeters founded Alana's Wings of Hope, a nonprofit organization that issues an annual scholarship to a graduating Genoa-Kingston senior.
The organization's name celebrates Alana's love for owls. An original work of art featuring a fairy that Alana used for her account profiles is now the nonprofit's logo.
This May, Alana's Wings of Hope issued its first $1,500 scholarship in Alana's honor during Genoa-Kingston High School's Senior Awards Night.
On Saturday, Aug. 22, Alana's Wings of Hope is partnering with
CrossWind Community Church in Genoa to host a 5K run in her honor.
Alana's Eternal Light 5K will serve as a celebration of her 16th birthday on Aug. 26.
The 5K's course follows her old bus route and passes by the Vanmeter family's house.
The 7:30 p.m. sunset run recalls the 5Ks Alana used to do with her mother.
Proceeds from the event will be used to fund the memorial scholarship and activities within the Genoa-Kingston School District, as well as provide support to local families that have been impacted by a traumatic loss.
According to Adam Vanmeter, there's an earnest desire to help other families dealing with similar experiences.
"There's a lot that happens in these few months following a loss like this that a lot of people don't realize," he said. "The grass doesn't stop growing. The garbage still needs to go out. The house still needs to be cleaned once in a while. Having the energy to do that after a sudden and traumatic loss is usually nonexistent. The energy just isn't there."
The Vanmeters say they make a point of reaching out to other members of the Genoa-Kingston community who have lost a loved one to offer their support.
Sarah Vanmeter says support from others is often integral to cultivating hope.
"I think it's the hardest thing when you lose someone, trying to find that hope," she said. "I think trying to guide and instill that within other people means a lot. A lot of bereaved moms reached out to help guide me in the early months, and they still do. That hope and that guidance is a lifeline."
Building hope is a core tenet of the nonprofit's mission. A conversation with one of Alana's friends led her mother to realize it was a perfect addition to the nonprofit's name.
"Her friend said, what about hope? Alana would want there to be hope," she said. "Alana was known for her kindness. And that kindness truly had an impact on our community. We don't want that to stop because she's not here. We want that kindness and those ripples that she was creating to continue."
Copy Edited by Eryn Lent
