How It
All Began
The Angels Foundation’s beginnings can be traced back to a coming together of family and friends in the midst of tragedy. That meeting of minds and hearts led to the discovery of the Foundation’s key principle: that healing loves company. We call it the “Angel Principle.”
In late 2002, 15-year-old Brittany Groover was tragically killed in a car accident. Her family and friends were devastated and sought ways to move through the grief and loss. Brittany’s father, Tim Groover, found a great deal of comfort in gathering with his brothers-in-law, Geb and David Broman, and close friend, Mick Gunter.
Mick was a fellow traveller in that he also had recently experienced the loss of his mother, Karla Bolen, in a car accident. In coming alongside the Groovers, he realized there were many lingering wounds from his own adversity.
This small band of brothers grappled together with their tragedies and gathered comfort in the process. In doing so, they began to wonder how many others might struggle silently with similar challenges and misfortune – and what they might be able to do about it.
Discover how you can honor the “angel” in your life and help make a difference in your local community today.
Out of this context, a plan was hatched to host a triathlon in Lynchburg, VA – an “Angels Race. This race had a specific purpose: to honor Brittany and her amazing life. In the midst of planning the event and interacting with all of the contestants and supporters, Brittany’s family found incredible healing.
This might have been the end of the story. But that first triathlon introduced the organizers to a powerful, and yet simple secret: healing loves company.
Tim, Geb, David, and Mick couldn’t escape the lesson that the triathlon provided. In the wake of tragedy, we don’t have to be alone. Healing can begin by honoring the loved ones in our lives, whether living or lost, in a public act of selflessness with friends and family. Restoring inward requires turning outward.
They decided to call this epiphany the ”Angel Principle.” And they wanted to share it with everyone.
Building on the lessons learned about the “Angel Principle” and the power of healing together, the Angels Foundation grew. The Lynchburg, VA Triathlon became an annual event, and was later joined by a sister race in Winston-Salem, NC. For more than 12 years, contestants have been challenged to dedicate their race to an “angel” in their lives, whether living or lost – enabling them to pursue healing as they head to the finish line.
Since then, the Angels Foundation has expanded to include other avenues and challenges for those that are less athletically inclined, like raffles and pledge drives. But every effort always revolves around the sense of dedication, of honoring someone’s indelible mark on your life.
Funds raised by the Angels Foundation are primarily directed towards the Brittany Groover Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Karla Bolen Memorial Fund, both of which promote educational opportunities. Find out more about each fund below.
The Brittany Groover Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Karla Bolen Memorial Fund
See For Yourself . . .
Contact Us
Now you know our back story. Why not share your own? Let us know about your angel, and how we can help you honor them.
Contact us with any questions you might have about how you can get involved with the Angels Foundation – whether to contribute to our cause, or to seek help through one of our scholarships and grants. We’d love to hear from you.
