Mission Statement
Kate’s Legacy Scholarship Fund has been created to honor the life of Kate McKay by supporting young dancers who, like Kate, are aspiring to dance competitively and who exemplify Kate’s amazing qualities: a passion for dance and learning, outstanding work ethic, and respect for herself and others.
How You Can Help
Kate’s Legacy is a 501c3 non-profit organization that depends on the generosity of people like you to provide scholarships to bright young dancers. Follow the link below to make a contribution — no matter how big or small, every little bit helps!
Kate’s Story
Kate began her dance journey at the tender age of 2.
From her very first class at the Gretchen Greene School of Dance, she was serious about learning to dance. Her passion for dance and learning was evident to anyone who watched her in class or on stage. At age 7, she auditioned for and was accepted into the Performance Ensemble at her studio. She took advantage of every class and opportunity to learn or to perform to its fullest, and was looking forward to auditioning for the Competitive Ensemble (the next step up!) in May of 2018.
On April 7, 2018, Kate was diagnosed with Leukemia. She began chemotherapy, but her battle with cancer would be short lived. Weeks later, Kate was admitted back into the hospital with complications. Her little body was fighting an infection and before the doctors could determine the infection, Kate had gone into Septic Shock. After a week in ICU, Kate passed away on April 26, 2018. Kate went home surrounded by love. Kate’s life and her loss continue to make a huge impact on her family, her friends, her dance family, her community, and beyond.
from Kate’s mom:
Kate lived her life to the fullest. She was grateful for each day she was given and took advantage of every opportunity. She loved God, her family, and her many, many sweet friends. She had one great passion in life: dance.
Kate’s number one goal was to be a competitive dancer at GGSOD. That’s where she could really push herself to become the best dancer she could be. One of her best character traits was how, even while wanting to improve, she never compared herself to other dancers. She knew she was created exactly as she was for a reason, and never let challenges get her down. She would just work harder. Her combination of confidence and humility is a rare thing in this world.
Kate faced having Leukemia like she did everything else: with trust in her loving God, and excitement for what she would get to do. She knew she would have hard days, but that wouldn’t be able to change the truth. Because she knew she was a beloved daughter of God and her parents, she had no need to fear. While in the hospital hooked up to a chemotherapy machine, Kate wrote in her prayer journal:
“Even in the hard and hurting, you are still my Father. Lord, I praise you even when I’m weak, and I thank you for everything you have done for me.”
