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Carnival put on to honor 5-year-old killed in Atlanta restaurant, help others

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Hundreds packed Stumptown Park in Matthews to honor a little boy killed last year in a tragic accident.

Charlie Holt was only 5 years old when he died at a rotating restaurant after getting stuck between the walls in Atlanta on April 14, 2017.

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Family and friends put on “Charlie’s Carnival” to help others and to remember Charlie. Organizers said about 500 people attended.

“This is hard for a child to get their arms around when they lose a friend,” organizer Cynthia Schick said. “This is a way to honor that boy and help kids understand that loss is a part of life.”

[LINK: Charlie Holt Memorial Fund]

There was food and fun, with the proceeds going to a good cause, and to start a new tradition.

(Charlie Holt)

The money will go to families who are in danger of being split up and help families across the world.

This year, the focus is on Ethiopia, but more countries will be looked at in the future.

Charlie Holt will be a lasting inspiration.

“The idea here is to create a family event for the community locally so as families come together here, we can be generating funds and helping families around the globe,” family spokesperson Mariryan Starr said. “Charlie Holt, in his short five years on this planet, really inspired so many people.”