Mollie Tibbetts’ mother pledges donation to Xavior Harrelson reward fund
The mother of Mollie Tibbetts announced she will donate half of the proceeds from her daughter's memorial run toward the reward fund for a missing Montezuma boy Xavior Harrelson.
By Laura Terrell
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BROOKLYN, Iowa (KCCI) — The mother of Mollie Tibbetts announced she will donate half of the proceeds from her daughter’s memorial run toward the reward fund for a missing Montezuma boy.
Eleven-year-old Xavior Harrelson remains missing from Montezuma. He was reported missing on May 27.
The Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation continue to investigate his disappearance.
Laura Calderwood, Tibbetts’ mother, said she knows the deep pain of missing a child. Her daughter was murdered in July of 2018 while on a run in Brooklyn.
Brandie Flathers has organized Mollie’s Memorial Run for three years, raising almost $18,000 for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
“Giving back to others has always been a thing that others have always said Mollie was great at,” Flathers said.
Flathers said Xavior’s disappearance dealt a second blow to the Poweshiek County community following Tibbetts’ death and that donating proceeds from Tibbetts’ memorial run to help find Xavior means a lot.
“When (Calderwood) first said that it just kind of gave me goosebumps, and it just really shows where Mollie got her kindness and her caring for others,” Flathers said.
“It means a lot, you know?” Montezuma Mayor Jacki Bolen said. “It means a lot.”
Grateful for the support, Bolen said she fears people will forget Xavior as more time passes.
“It’s still very, very concerning to everyone and we are wondering where he is and what is going on,” she said.
Investigators said Xavior’s case is not cold and that they continue to follow leads.
The reward fund for information that helps locate Xavior currently sits at $36,000.
“Hopefully with a boost in that reward fund, that will make it even that much more enticing,” Bolen said. “So, we’re hoping that it will just make somebody come forward and say, ‘Okay, I know something.’”
Mollie’s Memorial Run is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 26 at 8:30 am.
The race begins in the BGM High School parking lot and follows the route Tibbetts’ ran before she disappeared.
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