In memory of two victims of childhood domestic violence, Brightpoint is hosting its annual 5K run and 1-mile walk to end child abuse.
The “Taking Steps to End Child Abuse Color Run” will take place April 25 at Normal’s Fairview Park to benefit the organization’s Family Visitation Center. Proceeds assist the center in conducting required supervised court visits for children.
The run is held in memory of Duncan and Jack Leichtenberg of LeRoy. The boys were victims of a 2009 murder-suicide by their father after he failed to return them home after a visit.
Their mom, Amy Leichtenberg, helps run the fundraiser every year. The supervisor for her sons’ visits was losing their grant, so a judge decided to give the boys' father unsupervised visits.
“Then on their sixth unsupervised visit, my ex took them and did the unthinkable,” Leichtenberg said on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.
The mother described her boys as the best of brothers. They fought like siblings but they would also fight for each other.
“Duncan was my artist; he could draw beautifully. He was quiet; he was an old soul,” she said. “Jack was my ornery child who kept me on my toes, but he also had a heart of gold. Always said, ‘Love you, Mom.’”
The memory of her sons is the reason why Leichtenberg wants to bring awareness to what happened to them. The fundraiser helps to support their memory and the efforts of Brightpoint.
“So, I wanted to make sure that this never happens again, and that no parent should ever have to feel this pain, and to make sure that children had a safe place and parents had a safe place for visits,” she said.
Leichtenberg said coordinating the run, now in its 16th year, brings her a sense of empowerment. Though the event was tragic to her, she will not let it destroy her.
“It destroyed me for a very long time and I had to find a way, or find a purpose again,” she said. “I coordinated with Brightpoint and Laura [Cordero] and they are helping me fulfill that purpose, as well as keeping [Duncan and Jack’s] memory alive, which is so very important to me. I want their story to be told.”
Laura Cordero, Brightpoint’s development manager, said the run continually helps the nonprofit provide a safe space for parents and children alike.
Cordero said the fundraising goal of $5,000 this year already has been surpassed, “… so, when there’s some kind of conflict between two parents, where one is custodial, one is not, they come to our facility.”
“They can have those monitored visits and keep that family connection. Through this 5K that we’ve been doing for 16 years now, the funds from that have helped to provide a little bit of extra funding to continue to serve families.”
Funding for the center also comes from court filing fees and community donations. Federal funding has been disrupted.
“So, there was a little bit of disruption between when we lost the federal grant and when we got more of the court or the county fees. So, we are in the process of hiring more staff to serve more families again,” said Cordero.
Last fiscal year, the center served 60 families, which Cordero hopes to meet again this year.
Cordero said Leichtenberg is one of the center’s biggest cheerleaders, and it is a highlight of their work to see her resilience and to see her life change.
“My strength comes from Duncan and Jack. They’re the reasons I am sitting here today and I made a promise to them that I would continue to share their story,” Leichtenberg said.
Leichtenberg reiterated that grief presents two options moving forward — it can defeat you or you can defeat it. By putting one foot in front of the other, Brightpoint became part of her journey of rising above grief.
“And when you’re in it, sometimes you just have to find your way and I did with [Brightpoint’s] help,” she said. “And they have helped honor [Duncan and Jack] in a way that I can’t even imagine.”
Over the history of the event, $161,000 has been raised for the Family Visitation Center.
Registration for the event is open now on Brightpoint’s website.
