In this episode of Meet Houston Missions & The Simmons and Fletcher Local Missions Podcast, meet Briana McCulloch, Executive Director of the Kailee Mills Foundation. The Kailee Mills Foundation was formed in 2017 to spread awareness of the importance of always wearing your seatbelt while riding in a vehicle at any speed to any place since you never know when a car accident might occur. The Kailee Mills Foundation is based in Houston, Texas but they have evolved into a national campaign acting as the spokespersons for the national Clicket or Ticket campaign.

Background

Kailee Mills, at the age of 16 was riding as a rear passenger in a vehicle on her way to a neighborhood Halloween Party.  She was only about 400 yards from her home when she decided to take off her seatbelt and slide over to take a quick Selfe with her friend. She had every intention of putting the seatbelt right back on as she always wore it.  But fate would play out differently on this tragic day when the driver veered off the road going at a slow speed around a sharp curve. The car rolled. Kailee was tossed out of the vehicle. All other occupants were belted and walked away with only minor physical injuries. Kailee Mills was killed in the tragic accident. Kailee’s family and friends realized that the best way to keep Kailee’s memory alive was to spread the word about the importance of always wearing your seatbelt. The mission was born.

Advocacy

The Kailee Mills Foundation leaders regularly appear at schools to talk to kids about the importance of wearing a seatbelt at all times. They have created an educational program that can be taught in the schools as well as online that they use to teach with. Additionally, they provide family assistance to families who have lost a loved one in an accident due to seatbelt non-use.  The Kailee Mills Foundation further provides student scholarships to students active in promoting seatbelt use and awareness.

Opportunities to Get Involved

The Kailee Mills Foundation raises funds for its awareness campaigns and educational programs through a number of events that allow companies to create sponsorships and individuals to come together as teams and compete in fun events for a great cause. To sign up to volunteer, compete as a team, or be a sponsor, visit https://www.kaileemillsfoundation.org/.

Events

The Kailee Mills Foundation hosts three separate events including a Purse Bingo event, a golf tournament, and a Repelling event. The Galentine’s Purse Bingo is held near Valentine and gives people a chance to win designer purses while playing bingo for a cause. The Annual Drive to Save Lives Golf Tournament is held in Kingwood in May. Lastly, the new event they are introducing this year is the Kailee Mills Over the Edge Rappelling event where you can rappel down the side of an office building in Downtown Houston! (Or you can just choose to sponsor it and watch others.)

Contact:

The best way to reach out to the Kailee Mills Foundation is to contact them through the website or via email at info@kaileemillsfoundation.org. Their mailing address is:

25003 Pitkin Road, Suite C100
Spring, TX 77386

Meet Houston Missions and The Simmons and Fletcher Local Podcast are brought to you by Simmons and Fletcher, P.C. Host Paul H. Cannon is the Managing Partner.