The Laura Kate Winterbottom Memorial Fund is a non-profit 501(c)3 foundation established in 2005 by the family and friends of Laura after her abduction, rape, and murder on March 8 of that same year. At the time of her passing, Laura was a children’s art teacher and a dedicated community volunteer for many Burlington, VT organizations, including Burlington City Arts’ Art from the Heart, ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Home Share Vermont, the Humane Society of Chittenden County, and KidSafe Collaborative. To date the LKW Fund has donated nearly $200,000 to over forty different Chittenden County and Vermont-based organizations.

“There is something about the human spirit, the resilience of women and power of our common bond, along with the courage of the good men who stand beside us, that transforms sorrow into action, turns grief into something good. The Laura Kate Winterbottom Memorial Fund is a triumph of that human spirit.”

–Cheryl Hanna, Professor of Law, Vermont Law School