A day of pain and tears. Lane Graves, the 2-year-old boy killed by an alligator at Disney World last week, was laid to rest at an emotional funeral held in Elkhorn, Nebraska, on Tuesday, June 21, as his parents announced their plans to create a lasting legacy in memory of their son.
Matt and Melissa Graves revealed on Tuesday that they have established a charitable foundation to honor their little boy, WOWT reports. "Losing Lane has broken our hearts in the worst possible way," they wrote in a statement on the foundation's website. "While there is no way to mend our hearts, we can do good work in his honor. If you would like to honor Lane, donations are being accepted on behalf of the Lane Thomas Foundation at the Omaha Community Foundation. We will use these funds to make direct donations to various charitable organizations. One hundred percent of all donations will be received by the charitable cause."
The toddler, who was vacationing with his parents and 4-year-old sister, Ella, at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Orlando, was snatched by an alligator on June 14 as he waded in the Seven Seas Lagoon. His body was found intact about 16 hours later, not far from where he was grabbed.
Neighbors in the family's Elkhorn neighborhood tied blue ribbons around trees in memory of Lane, and set up a meal train and babysitting roster for the boy's sister when the Graves family returned home last week.
A wake for Lane was attended by hundreds on Monday, June 20, and on Tuesday morning his parents released a statement acknowledging all the kind gestures.
"Melissa and I again want to express our gratitude to our family, friends and community for the love and support we continue to receive," they said, according to KETV. "Today we will say goodbye to Lane, but we do so comforted by so many friends and strangers who share in our loss and who have shown us profound compassion."
