Kaitlin Jo Brekhus
September 13, 1984 – October 3, 2003
Kacie Brekhus attended Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (C-FB ISD) kindergarten through her senior year, attending Las Colinas Elementary, Barbara Bush Middle School in its inaugural year, and graduating from R. L. Turner High School in 2003. Among many other things, Kacie was involved with the R. L. Turner High School Torch Run throughout high school. She was a member of the 2000, 2001, 2002 Torch Run Committees; she was Torch Run Coordinator her senior year in 2003. After Kacie’s death in October 2003, while she was a freshman at The University of Texas at Austin in the Red McCombs School of Business, R. L. Turner High School decided to rename the Torch Run in honor of Kacie. That year, and every year since, proceeds remain within the district and support the C-FB ISD Special Olympics team, the All Stars. The Brekhus Family is honored that the run has been named Kacie’s Run and believes the run honors Kacie’s memory. The Brekhus Family is the Title and Presenting Sponsor of this year’s event.
Her family has written: “We think Kacie would be proud. Kacie would recall how worthwhile the long, hard hours she contributed were. She would remember with a smile those early, early Saturday mornings when she and her friends would attend other 5K races to hand out advertising flyers for the R. L. Turner Torch Run. She would cherish her family, friends, and colleagues who strive to carry out the tradition of supporting Special Olympics. She would be honored to have her name associated with such a worthy cause. She would want us to continue to contribute fully to Kacie’s Run. She would have continued to be involved with this worthwhile endeavor herself no matter where her life would have taken her. She had vowed to continue to support this cause for the rest of her life and she did wholeheartedly and unselfishly.”
Kacie received many compliments and accolades during her life for her dedication and commitment to R. L. Turner High School, its mission, and projects. As a tribute following her death, former Principal Kim Holland stated: “She was a born leader with the heart of a servant and that her inner beauty outshined even her outer beauty.” Kacie herself would credit C-FB ISD for instilling within her those qualities we all so admire, respect and strive to attain.