Skip to content

‘Kenzie’s Christmas Wish’ helps underprivileged

Lorene Hoffman Brown was born on a Vandalia farm 94 years ago, “right across from where I live now,” she said, referring to the Hoffman land that was designated a Centennial Farm a few years ago.

She married Lloyd Brown and their two daughters, Sandra (Moreland) and Nina (Branum), rounded out their family. Both daughters now live in Taylorville.
“My husband, Lloyd, worked at the ice plant at first,” she said. “When it closed, he went into farming. I was a farmer’s wife, but I also worked out of the home, first at Princess Peggy dress factory, then when it closed, I went to work at the drapery factory, in the same building."
So Close to Her Heart
A faithful member of the First Baptist Church of Vandalia, Lorene serves as the secretary for her Sunday school class, the adult quarterly class, when she is able to attend. Her faith sustained her in October 2011 when her young great-granddaughter, Mackenzie “Kenzie” Moreland died suddenly from a condition called myocarditis, which is caused by a viral infection of the heart. There had been no signs or symptoms before her death.
She was the daughter of Ron and Erika Moreland, and the granddaughter of  Lorene’s daughter, Sandra and her husband, Ron Moreland.
‘Kenzie’s Christmas Wish’
Close to her heart, Lorene shared the story of Kenzie’s passing, of her family, parents and Kenzie’s younger sister, Dariess, and of the wonderful way they are sharing Kenzie’s caring heart for children with others in a way that Kenzie would have wanted.
Kenzie was loved by all. She was a cheerleader and a member of the Edinburg FFA chapter, Power Plus Tumbling and student council. She was a member of the South Fork Christian Church in Rochester.
A few weeks before Christmas, in 2011, after Kenzie’s passing in October, a friend of Erika’s posted a comment on Facebook about a young single mother who, because of financial straits, was unable to provide Christmas gifts for her two young children.  Erika bought a $50 gift certificate for the mother, who said that she would purchase snow boots and coats for her children.
Touched by the young mother’s needs and her response to the gift card, Erika shared the experience with her husband, Ron, and said, “I think Mackenzie is saying, ‘Mom, you need to do more.'”
Erika used $300 that had been donated in honor of Kenzie and bought gifts and clothing for the children.  Her only request was that the mother take pictures of the children opening their gifts and share them with the Morelands.
Erika explained that Christmas wasn’t going to be the same, and seeing the happiness on the children’s faces that they, the Morelands, could give them, brought happiness to them also.
Ron got the idea of holding a golf tournament to raise money to help more children.  The tournament was held on Mackenzie’s 15th birthday, on June 29 of last year, and to the Moreland’s surprise, it raised $36,000.
Thus, ‘Kenzie’s Christmas Wish’ Was Born
It is a charity in Kenzie’s name that provides Christmas gifts to underprivileged children in the area.
Erika feels it was a special golf tournament, because people loved Kenzie. The Morelands were able to buy Christmas gifts for 165 children that year.
Dariess, who is 12, has also worked to raise money for the children, helping with every phase except delivering the gifts.
The Mackenzie Moreland scholarship has also been established and will be given in 2015, the year Kenzie would have graduated. Thus, it will go to one of her classmates.
Another golf outing is scheduled for her 16th birthday, on June 29, at the Edgewood Golf Course in Auburn.
“Kenzie’s Christmas Wish” charity has helped Lorene and the family through their grief, for the joy of helping others surely provides a balm for their wounded hearts. And all involved receive the blessings of Mackenzie Moreland’s loving spirit … as Mackenzie would have wanted.

Lorene Brown holds a photo of her great-granddaughter, Mackenzie Moreland, who died from a viral infection of the heart in October 2011.

Leave a Comment