08/25/2026
💕 Letter from Kim Milligan to the Veloteers 💕
Hello Everyone,
As we approach Alyssa's 26th birthday tomorrow (Friday, August 14th) and the almost 3-year mark since her accident on September 8th, I want to take a minute to give you all an update.
First, I want to express deep gratitude to all of you who have helped support us over the past nearly 3 years. I was not prepared for the ongoing, beastly nature of this grief journey; thanks for the enduring encouragement and grace shown. Really hard. The overwhelming outpouring of love and support, in the big and very smallest of ways, has helped me continue in this lifelong journey, and I am truly grateful. Thank you so much.
I want you all to know I have established the Alyssa Milligan Memorial Endowed Scholarship at Wheaton College. Starting this year, a Wheaton College student will be given a scholarship to carry on Alyssa's legacy of a life well-lived, a life of loving God and others with all her heart. If you have "giving funds" you can contribute for year-end giving, please know that this option will always be available; the money will be well stewarded and will help to carry on Alyssa's legacy. I've included the details below, but absolutely no pressure!
GIVING INFORMATION:
Visit this website https://give.wheaton.edu/campaigns/61635/donations/newand type “Alyssa Milligan” in the Designation box. Press the “+” sign to select the Alyssa Milligan Memorial Endowed Scholarship and choose your preferred giving method to complete the process. Company matching gifts are welcome too, so please connect with your employer for those instructions if that is available.
If you need assistance with making a gift, please contact Wheaton College Advancement Services at 1.800.525.9906, or Amy Keating at [email protected] or 630.752.7844.
I am also including a picture of Alyssa's beautiful headstone which was finally installed last fall. Every detail has special meaning, and the hope is that as people stop and read it, Alyssa will continue to have a powerful voice for Christ even though her voice here on Earth was cut short.
If you're someone who finds visiting a gravesite meaningful, she's at Evergreen Cemetery in Barrington, IL.
1) Font and Photo - whimsical and fun like Alyssa
2) Flowers - sweet alyssum from a picture taken at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, a place we visited often when Alyssa, Cade, and Carson were growing up. Her nickname was: "Sweet Alyssa," just like the sweet-smelling sweet alyssum flowers flanking her name.
3) Two Life Statements - describing the way she lived her short life
4) Her Life Verse - her favorite verse representing her life's purpose
Thanks again to all of you who have been a part of our family's journey. Even when life is very messy, and even on the very hardest of days, I'm grateful that I can still confidently say that God is Good, and God is Faithful...through it all.
To God Be the Glory,
Kim
