It was a devastating loss that rocked the community one year ago. Three-year-old Aspen Seemann and two-year-old Lane Graves were both killed in tragic accidents.
Aspen drowned in a lake near Waterloo and Lane was killed when an alligator at Disney World drug him into a lagoon.
The town of Elkhorn is covered in pinwheels and blue ribbons, a way for the community to help keep the boys’ memory alive.
“Anytime we see pinwheels or bows we go to that mindset of they are not here, but it is very heartfelt and a warm feeling in our hearts that people are representing them,” said Trisha Newell, Aspen’s aunt.
After both boys died, the support was not surprising, but it helped the families through these hard times.
“It’s hard months for both families, it’s pretty overwhelming to us right now, remembering how horrible those days and weeks were,” said Newell.
To add to the bows and pinwheels, Newell and some family friends hung a banner over the Dodge Expressway near the Elkhorn exit, the sign in a visible show of support to both families.
To buy a bow or pinwheel, Mangelsen’s is selling both. If you do purchase one and put it out, you can take a picture and post on the Aspen and Lane Facebook pages.
