Kevin Dare Memorial Foundation Making a Difference and Saving Lives

Posted by Terry Zeigler Oct 5, 2009

Kevin Dare's life was cut short performing in the sport he loved - the pole vault. Although his life ended tragically, his family has pushed on and become national advocates for safety in the sport of pole vaulting.

Because of their efforts, thousands of dollars have been raised to increase awareness about the risks in pole vault, to create new safety rules for the sport, and to create, design, and market specially designed helmets for the sport of pole vault. Their efforts to increase the safety of pole vault will undoubtedly save the lives of young vaulters.

Their efforts should be acknowledged not only because they have been successful in their purpose, but because they chose to take Kevin's death and use the situation to help others. It would have been understandable for this family to have retreated and withdrawn, but they did the opposite.

They used their pain as a source of strength. They worked closely with the university that Kevin loved and teamed up with Penn State to continue to honor his name. I think Kevin would be truly proud of what his parents have accomplished in his name.

The Dare family can be a model for others to follow. If a life is lost in sport and the cause is something that could have been prevented, then it is time to do something about it. Family and friends can be the best advocates for change because they have the most invested emotion to drive that change.

May we all be advocates for making sport a safe place for our children. If the sports arena isn't a safe place for our children, it is time to make a change.