Kait's Angels Keeps Memory Of LI Woman Alive Through Giving Back

NORTH FORK, NY — A North Fork organization is continuing its tireless work to keep a young woman's legacy of giving back alive.

Kaitlyn Doorhy, a former Mattituck Lions Club Strawberry Queen, died at 20 in 2014 when she was struck by a car while away at college. As the community mourned her loss, her parents Darla and Joe Doorhy created Kait's Angels, a not-for-profit aimed at helping those in need in the community while keeping their beautiful daughter's memory vibrant.

This year, Kait's Angels has not only held a Designer Handbag Wingo event to raise funds, but has also planned an upcoming annual yard sale Saturday to help two community members in need. Each year, other events, including a Poker Run, are also held to raise money.

And this summer, Kait's Angels set their sites on sprucing up various recreational facilities in town.

According to Joe Doorhy, Kait's Angels installed three new picnic tables, bike racks, and an outdoor shower at New Suffolk Beach, located on Jackson Street in New Suffolk.

"We chose that location because it was Kaitlyn's favorite beach," Doorhy told Patch. "If you look at Kaitlyn's headstone, it shows her sitting on that beach, looking at Robins Island."

Doorhy said he and other Kait's Angels representatives spoke with Southold Town Deputy Supervisor Jill Doherty about the plans, then wrote a donation letter to the town clerk; the town board voted and allowed the project to move forward.

Mattituck Plumbing donated its services, including labor and materials, to install the outdoor shower, while Kait's Angels donated the tables and bike racks, with each table costing about $1,000 and the bike racks, $500, Doorhy said. The project was completed in time for the start of the summer season.

The results were deeply rewarding, Doorhy said.

"It felt good," he said. "We got a lot of positive feedback. People were so happy to see it, and happy to rinse off with fresh water."

His daughter would have been happy to see the new additions, he said.

In a separate project, Kait's Angels, along with the Mattituck and Cutchogue Lions Clubs, also installed eight picnic tables under a pavilion on Peconic Lane, across the way from Tasker Park; each table has a Kait's Angels plaque, Doorhy said.

"It's been great," he said. "A lot of families have been going down there and having barbecues. Now they can have them even if it's raining."

Looking ahead, Doorhy said that Kait's Angels has plans to install new Buddy Benches, aimed at helping children who may be feeling lonely to find a friend, at new locations.

Of Kait's Angels efforts to give back, Darla Doorhy, Kaitlyn's mother, said: "It’s helping hands, helping others in need. Kaitlyn always said we have two hands, one hand for ourselves and one hand to help others."