Our Story

Event founder and chair Susie Gale created Kyle’s Gift in 2012 to honor the legacy of her son Kyle Zammar, an accomplished Lee’s Summit High School athlete. Kyle was just beginning his career as a special education teacher and coach when he died.

On May 29, 2006, Kyle died at the age of 22 of a cardiac condition called myocarditis. This condition has no recognizable symptoms and is often fatal to young athletic men like Kyle. “The indescribable grief of losing a child can take many forms,” Susie says. “I choose to honor Kyle’s legacy by trying to keep a little of his light burning in this world.”

As a Lee’s Summit High School student, Kyle was an accomplished athlete, broadcaster, and leader, and most thought he could have a career in one of those fields. But, after a summer of working in a classroom for special needs children, Kyle dedicated himself to enhancing the lives of people with special needs. In addition, at the time of his death, he was coaching a winning 15-year-old boys basketball team.

“My younger son and Kyle’s little brother, Austin, Kyle’s friends and family, and I have tried to honor Kyle’s legacy of kindness and service through the Kyle’s Gift foundation,” Susie said.