Nonprofit founded by Kyren Lacy's mother keeps legacy alive with mental health support for athletes

In Baton Rouge, former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy’s name is often associated with heartbreak after his death. However, his legacy continues to give back to the community, chiefly through the KyrenK2 Foundation.

Founded by his mother Kandace Washington, the K2 Foundation was created as a way to help her cope with his difficult passing.

“I was talking with my therapist and she was saying to me that I have all this love and care for Kyren and she said, you have to put it somewhere,” Washington said. “So that’s kind of how it started, through talking with my therapist and trying to find ways to heal and to just put my love for Kyren into something that he would really want to do if he was still here.”

With this push to carry on his legacy, her mission wasn’t to emphasize the tragedy but to turn her grief into purpose and reach out to those going through the same mental health struggles. Instead of focusing on the loss, she wanted to spread his love.

“I want people to know that Kyren was a gentle giant, he had a huge heart. He loved people. He loved his community, and anytime we needed anything he was there,” she said. “He always liked to make people laugh… and loved being around his family and friends. He was just a really good, kind soul to be around.”

Knowing that Kyren had so much to offer to the community, she wanted to do the same with the K2 Foundation. Her biggest mission is just being that voice of reason that those in the dark need.

“The core message is, and the mission is to always be a simple thing of changing your perspective,” Washington said.

The first initiative the K2 Foundation offers is counseling sessions to student athletes. If an athlete has insurance but can’t afford a copay, then the foundation covers the copay cost. If the athlete isn’t insured, the K2 Foundation will pay in full for up to five counseling sessions.

“I think a lot of times when situations happen, especially with athletes and on such a big collegiate level as Kyren, not being able to have the support that they need is a big issue,” she said. “So our foundation is based on offering support for athletes.”

More than ever, mental health matters to athletes in atmospheres like that of college football. Factors like NIL and social media have added unbelievable pressure to athletes who at the end of the day are students and regular people.

“I think social media is the biggest issue right now, because one second you’re doing something good, you’re a hero,” Washington said. “And the second you do something wrong, the things that people say online are really atrocious… They still have their schoolwork, they still have practice, they still try to find a social life. So it’s a lot that goes into being a student athlete, and it’s not as easy as people make it out to be.”

Aside from providing support services for athletes, the K2 Foundation makes it a mission to give back to the Baton Rouge community.

“We have done a back to school drive, we’ve done a hygiene drive. We have, of course, done a turkey drive,” she said. “We’re going to be working with other organizations and with suicide awareness and mental health awareness programs.”

Kalayna Walker, the LSU 2025 Homecoming Queen, also recently worked with the K2 Foundation to help spread positivity on campus and bring awareness to the cause.

“We made affirmation cards to give to kids around school to just feel better because you never know what someone’s going through,” Walker said. “I wanted to use my platform to recognize any and every single organization that feels unseen, so if God gave me this platform, I’m going to use it for the good things.”

Walker’s support and spotlight of the foundation is exactly what it’s looking for, Washington said, to help boost a non-profit with big plans for the future.

“We have a landing page, we’re working on our website…but we’re always needing extra hands, so if they want to volunteer, they can show up, and we will welcome them with open arms,” Washington said. “The biggest contribution is people donating and helping out… so being able to get help from other companies or organizations and partnering with other people has really been a help for the foundation to go above and beyond.”

Going above and beyond has allowed Washington to shift her own perspective and have reassurance in knowing she’s both honoring Kyren’s legacy and showing that the tragedy can be transformed into a message.

The true success for her is seeing the impact the foundation can make on even just one athlete.

“I would really like to see the foundation be one of the biggest resources for athletes…just being able to be there for them and have therapists on our team to really help them to navigate the space of sports,” Washington said.

Every step Washington takes is shaped by the reason the foundation exists in the first place, and that connection is something she carries with her at every event.

“I feel him every time I do something at every event that we have,” she said. “I think he would be very proud of the work and the family coming together and just making sure that this is a really successful foundation.”