Kindness Matters Foundation game has meaning on and off the court
D'Evelyn, Green Mountain, Lakewood and Ralston Valley honor the spirit of Mackenzie Forrest
The memory and spirit of Mackenzie Forrest is still strong in the Jeffco community.
Girls basketball teams from Lakewood, Green Mountain, D’Evelyn and Ralston Valley came together Nov. 20 to put on the 1st annual Kindness Matters Foundation game. The scrimmages featured Green Mountain facing Ralston Valley and Lakewood playing D’Evelyn. Along with the games, there was an online and live auctions.
“The funds raised from this will go to three things — scholarships to Jeffco students, Gold Crown enrichment program and kindness initiatives inside the schools,” said Holger Forrest, father of Mackenzie Forrest.
Mackenzie was a standout basketball player at Lakewood High School from 2012-2016. She finished her four-year run as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,420 points. Tragically, Mackenzie lost her life in a car accident on March 13, 2016.
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“It’s still really hard,” Holger Forrest said. “We spent a lot of time in this gym. She did a lot with kids here and it was a great experience for her.”
The Forrest Family started up the Hustle and Heart organization that awards college scholarships for Jeffco students. There is also the wearing a seatbelt — Lil’ Mac Pledge — that started shortly after Mackenzie’s death.
Another avenue that has kept Mackenzie’s spirit in everyone’s minds is the Kindness Matters Scholarships through the Jeffco Schools Foundation. There is a Kindness Matters bench that was built at Devinny Elementary in the Green Mountain-area where Mackenzie attended elementary school.
