Roy family gives back to community that gave to them

ROY — To understand why Rylee Watson is ready to serve others at the drop of a hat, you have to understand her mother, Kami Jensen.

Actually, what you have to understand is that in a time of sadness — the loss of twin children soon after birth —Jensen shortly began to think of other families going through the same thing and how to let them know they were not alone.

She created a new Halloween family tradition that would not involve extra candy or more costumes. The family would head to the hospital every Oct. 31 and give the nurses the fleece blankets they made earlier. They asked the nurses to give them to anyone most in need of knowing that someone was thinking about them, and they were not alone.

If Watson was bitter or angry about losing part of her Halloween each year, she does not show it. Instead she ingested all that her mother was teaching her with her actions and tried to do the same with her siblings.

"Going to the hospital, tying the blankets really showed me the importance of giving back," she said. "So, in 2021, when my dad was sick, we wanted to do something to help our family. And then each year after, we wanted to help other people we knew were in need."

Jensen describes her pride in her five children's actions by going back to those lessons she wanted to teach her children all those years ago.

"I meant to teach them how important it is to serve other people who are going through hard times," she said. "So when they told me how they wanted to help the family ... and the people in our community who needed help, I cried. They're great kids."

Watson and her siblings decided to host one of the most complicated events to host, especially without the help of tens of volunteers, the oversight of a university or a nonprofit with startup money to get started, or police to monitor any crowd: They organized and held a 5K the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

The siblings came up with the route, made the flyers, talked to their neighbors and handled the money. Roughly 75 people came to that first run, raising not a ton of money, but that was not the point. The siblings just wanted to help their parents while their dad was in the hospital. They were proud to help their family through a difficult time.

It did not take long for the family to think about what to do for the people in their community who were going through a hard time, too. They kept the 5K in November and started thinking of families that needed financial assistance. They once held the run for a family whose child had died and needed help with the funeral expenses. The year before, they used the 5K to raise funds for a neighbor who needed a new wheelchair.

This year, the money they raise will go to a man who is in the burn center at the University of Utah.

The community is ready to give, especially since what they give goes directly to the family. Friends and neighbors have even started to call earlier than usual to register for the run.

"We usually try to help someone that people know are struggling," Watson said, "A lot of times people don't know what to do to help someone who is having a difficult time ... and a meal can only go so far. People like the run because it is a way to give to the people who need help."

In the past, Watson and her siblings met the families who were the focus of the run on the Monday after the 5K, although they are always encouraged to attend the run. The recipients are always appreciative, Watson said, and are amazed that people want to help them.

Watson and her siblings are now adults, and there are now children to learn the importance of giving to people who are struggling as the family has in the past. The thought that her son could one day take over the run and help his neighbors makes her pretty excited. In truth, it makes her more like her mother.

"I hope he remembers what it felt like to give back," she said, referring to her 2-year-old son. "I hope he makes his own family traditions that will serve his community."

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