UTICA, N.Y. (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) – A benefit is being held on Saturday, March 4^th by the Miles for Meag Foundation, and while it’s expected to be a fun night out, it’s what they’re planning to do with the funding raised that will make a serious lasting impact.

“We created Miles for Meag after my daughter Meagan, took her life back in March of 2022,” said Tracy Stewart, Meag’s mom and Co-Founder of Miles for Meag.  

“We realized at that time there weren’t a lot of support services for families coping with loss.”

After realizing there was a need in the community, Tracy started this foundation to raise money to create the programs and services she wanted to see in the area.

“The nearest support group was over an hour away, so we decided to try to help that side.” Explained Tracy, “We also help with awareness and prevention, but we also figured there was such a, you know, void there – when you do lose someone, there’s so many things to go through and there’s a long healing process.”

“So, we reach out to families, we started a monthly support group meeting, and our ultimate goal is to get a house.”

The proceeds from this benefit will all go to the foundation but will especially help them in reaching their goal of purchasing a house.

Tracy explained, “Because a lot of times when it happens in the home, you don’t want to be there or you have to leave, so to have a place for families to go while they’re grieving, planning a funeral, and just kind of remove themselves from that atmosphere to heal. And then slowly, you know, return to their home.”

“You don’t realize, you know, when it does happen in the home – there’s a lot of feelings and a lot of stuff that goes on, so if somebody can just, you know, one less worry – we can be like, here we have a place you can go.”

Tickets include everything from food to an open bar and a DJ. Tracy adds that this foundation has been a main way to keep Meag’s memory alive.

“I feel it helps me as well, helping others,” she said, “And it also kind of keeps my daughter Meagan’s memory alive.”

“She was a very happy, go-lucky person and she loved to help people as well. She wanted to save the bees, she was an organ donor, so we also have that on our website that you can go and do that too.”

If you can’t attend this event in person and would still like to donate to the foundation, you can do so via the Miles for Meag website – where the Venmo & PayPal accounts are linked.