“This is our day for Keigan,” said Affleck, whose 22-month-old son, Keigan Lucas, died in a highway accident in August 2008, along with an older cousin, Morgan Leil.
It’s a dark moment she shares with Keigan’s dad, Roger Lucas, as well as their families.
“It’s hard to just pick up and continue, but that’s life, and things happen,” Affleck said. “I mean, he’s always on my mind, but this is a day for him. We all try to get together; it’s all about Keigan.”
Almost nine years after that tragic day, she and her now-husband Brian – they have been married for seven years – operate Eagle’s Chance Golf Course, and they have three young daughters: Ella, Abigail and Autumn.
An annual fundraiser was held there on Saturday, which started a year after Charlotte’s son died on a rainy Saturday evening.
“We bring in between $2,000 to 2,500 every year,” said Brian, as he hammered boards onto a wagon, which would be used to haul kids around the grounds throughout the day.
“There’ll probably be a hundred people here today – adults and kids.”
Nearby, fenced-in farm animals – sheep, a miniature horse (Nibbles), chickens and a goat (named Bubba) – were a popular draw for the kids, as was a pond stocked with goldfish and trout, tucked in behind the golf course.
There was also a barbecue, a bouncy house, and a golf tournament with children and adults.
All proceeds raised will go to the Keigan Lucas Scholarship Fund. Every year, one student from both Northumberland Regional High School and North Nova Education Centre are awarded scholarships for post-secondary education. Charlotte asks students to submit essays explaining why they should be considered for funding.
“We try to have it so that the scholarships go to somebody who’s going into a career where they will work with children,” she said.
“I personally read all the essays, and I hand-pick one student from each of those schools. We also try to base it on (financial) need, more than academics.”
