The Alexandria Leigh Goodwin Angel (ALGA) foundation will be hosting a 5K walk/run at 10 a.m. Sunday, March 31 at Jeffrey Park in Columbus.
Alexandria Goodwin was a student at Capital who passed away in the spring of 2016. She was only 19.
To this day, an exact cause of death has not been pinpointed. Goodwin was found lying on a couch in her mother’s home.
“She had her ponytail out, which indicates to me that she had a headache,” Sara Sherman, Goodwin’s mother, said. “She had headaches a lot.”
At a young age, Goodwin was taken to the doctor to receive a CAT scan, but there were no troubling signs at the time.
“Some people just live with headaches, you know?” Sherman said.
Goodwin was known for being a person that you could always fall back on. Those who knew her said that she exemplified love for all, honesty among friends, and passion for whatever she was involved in.
Most people would argue that these are things that the world is lacking in right now.
Even though Goodwin is gone, her mother felt that the values she demonstrated should remain eternal.
As a result, the ALGA foundation was formed to both spread love and reward those whose actions are guided by a compassionate heart.
To promote and organize the upcoming 5K, Sherman has teamed up with Capcon Verge (the CV), Capital’s PRSSA firm.
“We came up with a month of social media content,” Brianna Shervinskie, the account coordinator for the CV, said. “We’re also going to help with finding sponsors, and in general, come up with ideas that promote the 5K.”
The 5K is a major event that ALGA is hosting this year. Standard admission price is $35, while kids 10 and under can be admitted for $5. Further information, including links for donations, is available here.
The profits of the event will go to funding two $1,000 scholarships. One for a qualifying Groveport Madison (Goodwin’s alma mater) senior and another for a Capital junior.
“I’m always on the hunt to find ways to infuse the idea of random acts of kindness,” Sherman said.
In addition to the scholarships, Sherman wants to contribute proceeds to supplying the homeless with sleeping bags, and donate to a movement that strives to provide young women with feminine hygiene products.
Sherman explained that there are girls living in Franklin County that are not attending school because they don’t have access to proper hygiene products.
“No one should miss an education because their body is doing their body’s thing,” Sherman said.
The life story of Alexandria Goodwin and her mother is one to draw strength and motivation from. It’s a story about a young woman who never ceased to bring joy to those around her, and a mother who decided to keep her daughter’s spirit alive.
