PLATTSBURGH — It was Lizzie Daly’s birthday party, but she was the one giving the gifts.
She’s the namesake of Lizzie’s Lasting Light, a local charity created by her family after she died of a drug overdose in December 2024 at age 26.
Since the fund launched in early 2025, Lizzie’s Lasting Light has donated over $10,000 to 10 organizations in New York and Vermont, supporting work ranging from harm reduction services and peer recovery coaching to after-school and educational programming for children.
Counting both those donations and local scholarships, the fund has awarded over $20,000 since it began.
BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISER
The fundraising effort has been spearheaded by Lizzie’s older sister, Anna Daly, who emceed a fundraiser for the group May 30 at the Naked Turtle.
“Lizzie would have turned 28 on May 29th, so this was just as much of a birthday celebration for her as it was a fundraiser,” Anna said in an interview with the Press-Republican.
That Naked Turtle event raised over $6,000 for the group.
The fund is also sponsoring the 2026 Coming Together Substance Use Addiction Summit in Essex Junction, Vermont.
The group’s GoFundMe page recently met its initial $30,000 goal, helped along by a $5,950 donation from Peru native Donald Abernethy.
A January flash tattoo event with artist Juhnna Bartlett at Now or Never Tattoo brought in about $1,000 more.
T-shirts bearing the Lizzie’s Lasting Light logo are now for sale, and Anna said she would eventually like to raffle off a big-ticket item: concert or sporting event tickets.
LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS
A cornerstone of the fund’s work has been getting aspiring cosmetologists through school.
Lizzie, a 2015 Willsboro Central School graduate, finished the CV-TEC Cosmetology Program in 2015 and worked as a hairstylist at Polished from Head to Toe and Mastercuts.
Three adult students received CV-TEC cosmetology tuition scholarships through Lizzie’s Lasting Light for the 2025–26 year, two at 50% of tuition and a third at $1,000 per semester.
The fund also awards “mini” scholarships to CV-TEC cosmetology graduates, each paired with a $250 CosmoProf gift card for supplies. After a first round last June, five more will go out at the June 2026 graduation.
New this year is a Willsboro Central School senior scholarship, a $500 award for a graduating senior who has shown a strong commitment to helping others and giving back.
Anna said the scholarship idea was sparked by Willsboro Central School senior Peyton Leerkes, who folded a Lizzie’s Lasting Light fundraiser into a Mental Health Awareness Fair she hosted at the school in early May.
LOOKING AHEAD
Anna is now beginning the process of applying for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and hopes to assemble a board of directors and a standing group of volunteers to help the organization grow with purpose and last for years.
“I have a great support network of friends who have volunteered, so I’d love to continue building a group of volunteers, as well,” Anna said.
This summer, she’s also hoping to launch a weekly or monthly support group open to anyone with a loved one struggling with substance use disorder, facilitated by a mental health professional and funded by the organization.
A SISTER’S LEGACY
For Anna, the steady stream of support reflects who her sister was and continues to be for the community.
“Lizzie was easy to love. She was a light in the world, and I think that is what makes this all feel so natural to me,” Anna said. “It’s inspiring to see so many people come together to turn a tragic loss into something meaningful that can help others.
“Knowing that my sister’s legacy continues to make a difference because of this support means more than I can put into words. I know she will always be with me; she is a part of me. That doesn’t just go away.”