Ellie Collom poses for a picture with Jodi Freeman, Levi's Children's Charity advisory board member, while preparing the area to make snow cones.
Missouri REALTORS® are not only real estate professionals - we're so much more. We're active in the community - serving on school boards, in elected positions and volunteering our time to make communities where we work a better place to be. We're educators – serving on panels and facilitating industry discussions. Our new series, Member Spotlight, will allow us to introduce you to the many personalities that make up Missouri REALTORS®.
This month, we are shining the Member Spotlight on Ellie Collom.
When Levi Collom suddenly passed away in his sleep on March 18, 2012 at the age of 3½, his family was devastated, but knew they had to do something. Ellie Collom, REALTOR® at Century 21 in Sikeston, founded Levi’s Children’s Charity in memory of her son. She hoped to raise awareness of SUDC, Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood, and better understand why this happened. Understanding the immense grief experienced when losing a child, Collom is dedicated to helping other parents who have lost a child.
In the past year, she raised $43,500 for the organization and volunteered 1,250 hours. She personally recruited 5,200 volunteer hours, and more than 675 people were served by her efforts. Each September, she organizes and hosts the Celebration of Life event in memory of Levi’s birthday. Recently, more than 300 children attended and played. She has been with the organization since its founding in 2012.
Levi’s Children’s Charity is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing a fun outside space for children and families to enjoy. Specifically, the organization is committed to the construction and development of Levi’s Adventure Trail, an outdoor nature playground at the Discovery Playhouse Children's Museum in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The playground will be filled with activities Levi loved and superheroes.
Collom was a 2015 Missouri REALTOR® Good Neighbor Award nominee.
If you’re in the spotlight in your community or know someone who is - let us know, we’d love to shine our Missouri REALTORS® Spotlight on you!