Lake Norman Publications

Challenge celebrates a little girl’s legacy at the YMCA



Easton Mills, in her family’s favorite photo, shares the smile and character that keeps her memorable at the Lake Norman YMCA and throughout the community. /Courtesy of Liz Mills

CORNELIUS – A little girl who left a big impression continues to be the driving force behind a community event designed to make the lives of local children better.

On the last Saturday in April, approximately 60 area residents – competing in two-person teams – tackled a morning full of multi-faceted physical challenges combined with fun exercises at the Lake Norman YMCA participating in a project with two primary goals: celebrating the memory of Easton Mills, and raising money to help young people from the area attend YMCA camps.

The 2022 Easton Mills Memorial Challenge – with participants representing the YMCA in Cornelius and at least five other area gyms – generated more than $25,000 to support Youth Development Programs at the Y and help finance camp experiences for children who might otherwise not be able to participate. And it also, after a two-year pause due to pandemic protocols, refreshed the memories of a vibrant and usually smiling child who, despite her young age and small stature, left an enduring legacy at the Lake Norman Y.

“She would bounce into that place,” Cornelius resident Liz Mills said about her daughter Easton’s regular visits to the Y. “She’d have this big smile on her face and it seemed like everybody knew her.”

One of the session stations involved weight-lifting sets for participants. /Lee Sullivan

Easton, born in 2014, was a Lake Norman YMCA regular, visiting the Child Watch program while her mother exercised. 

“I don’t know how everybody got to know her, but it was amazing,” Liz Mills said.

In early May 2017, Liz and her husband Brandon noticed a sudden change in Easton, with the bouncy energy gone and symptoms evident she did not feel well. Over just a few hours, the situation worsened.

During treatment at the first medical facility they visited, Easton stopped breathing. She was resuscitated and transferred to Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, where the diagnosis of an Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor (ATRT) – a very rare and aggressive brain or nervous system tumor found most often in children under age 3 – was confirmed.

Two-year-old Easton died the next day, leaving behind her parents and older brother Grant.

“She was sick for about 24 hours,” Liz Mills said. “There really was nothing they could do.”

In her obituary, the family asked memorials in Easton’s name be sent to the Lake Norman Y. And Liz and Brandon Mills searched for a way to channel grief into something positive.

“If we are going to survive this,” Liz Mills said, recalling their discussions, “we need to find a way to help others.”

The next year, emphasizing a “we are better together” message for the community event, the first Easton Mills Challenge was held.

“She was a tiny little thing, but a big character,” Liz Mills said, “and she made a big connection to people, especially at the Y.”

An obstacle course relay was one of the Easton Mills Challenge events for two-person teams. /Lee Sullivan

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