Kayla’s Hope Foundation was founded in 2018 by the Lehmann family in loving memory of their daughter and sister, Kayla Brooke Lehmann. The main mission of Kayla’s Hope is to help remove the stigma of mental health issues while assisting those who struggle and offering hope to those who need it most. It’s OKAY not to be OKAY, BUT it is so important to seek help and to feel comfortable doing so.
Kayla’s Hope Week was created in April 2021. The Lehmann Family, together with friends of Kayla, created Kayla’s Hope Week, the foundation’s biggest annual fundraiser. That first year, we reached thousands of people and raised nearly $20K in three weeks with just one business sponsor. What makes it even more special? The plan was written in crayon and created on a whim in 3 weeks. It was entirely driven by the power of HOPE.
Since then, Kayla’s Hope Week has flourished. In 2024 we raised $105K and reached thousands of community members in an ever-expanding geographic area. We awarded more scholarship money, adding Geneva and Batavia High Schools for the 2023-24 academic year, assisted more individuals in paying for mental health services, increased funding for Suicide Prevention Services, and spread awareness of mental health issues while offering support through Kayla’s Kindness Rock Garden and school programs throughout the Fox River Valley.
In 2024 and beyond, we envision growing and spreading the message of mental health care wider and longer. We aim to inspire thousands more to embrace and promote the mission of Kayla’s Hope. We invite YOU to join us as an ELITE sponsor of Kayla’s Hope Week 2025.
