Letter to Family Friends
4/28/2003 12:00:00 AM
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
Dear Family and Friends,
A week ago today, we lost a close friend to a very tragic and untimely death. David Kimani, a 25 year old native of Nairobi, Kenya, was a track and field star here at The University of Alabama. He died suddenly while eating lunch with his friends and teammates at the Mary Burke "training table".
We had known David for several years when he first began his track career at South Alabama. David lived with Jeff's aunt in Mobile, as she sponsored many of the South Alabama student athletes. He quickly became a close family friend, sharing Christmas celebrations and family gatherings with us.
David was an amazing athlete. David won an NCAA championship as a freshman at South. When he transferred to U of A here in Tuscaloosa for his sophomore year, we were delighted to have him so close to us. He won many more championships during his collegiate career, including a total of 6 national championships, 14 All-America honors, and two-time honors as SEC Cross Country Athlete of the Year. His potential for future success was unmistakable and limitless, as he was widely considered to be a favorite for the US Olympic Team in 2004. He was applying to become a US citizen when he died.
But more important than his athletic accomplishments, David was an amazing spirit. Always quick with a smile and quick with a laugh, he brightened up any room. Every one who met him could never forget him. He had no enemies, having converted his competitors into allies through his respect for them and his humble nature. David was, quite simply, a gift from God.
David came to our country with nothing but the clothes on his back and the shoes on his feet. He was raised in the slums of Kenya and was so thankful to be living in the US. With his father, mother, brothers and sister in Kenya struggling to make ends meet, David sent his scholarship meal money home to them and worked in the student recreational facility on campus to help support them.
When he died, David was literally days away from signing a professional shoe contract that would have provided him, his wife Chamis, and his family of 6 in Kenya with a means to support themselves. Now, his wife is alone and his family has lost their source of hope for a better life.
We are writing you to ask for a contribution to the David Kimani Remembrance Fund that we helped establish in his honor. The money raised by the fund will go directly to Chamis and David's family in Kenya. Should you choose to help, your contribution will make a tremendous difference in the lives of Chamis and David's family because only a few US dollars can go a very long way in the depressed Kenyan economy.
David influenced people around the world because of his genuine love for life and love for running. He was internationally known as an elite athlete and more importantly as an engaging, selfless individual.
Please help us to honor the memory of this great and gentle soul.
The David Kimani Remembrance Fund
attn: Marie Robbins
P.O. Box 870393
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
Thank You,
Jeff and Katherine Laubenthal
1561 Greystone Dr
Tuscaloosa, AL 35406
205-758-2055
