Hundreds attend balloon release to remember Kimball High School mentor killed in crash

DALLAS - Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday at Kimball High School in Oak Cliff to honor a woman remembered for her leadership and for helping students achieve their goals.

Hanan Ali-Lacy died Sunday after a teen driver t-boned her vehicle. She was a counselor who worked at Kimball High School helping kids get into college.

The community Ali-Lacy helped showed her grieving family just how much she was loved.

It seems everyone has a story about their favorite advisor. Ali-Lacy worked for a non-profit that helped Dallas ISD students get on track and get to college. She always went above and beyond.

The community, however, is heartbroken while trying to stay strong.

"This is so beautiful," said Ali-Lacy’s mother, Alecia Ward. "These are students. We’re here. And they’re all grieving, but they’re celebrating her life."

Ward found out Sunday that her daughter died in a car wreck. A 17-year old boy was driving along Pleasant Run Road in DeSoto. His passenger told police he put the vehicle into sport mode and began speeding up a hill and then down a hill. 

MORE: Woman killed in DeSoto crash remembered for helping countless Dallas ISD students go to college

Ali-Lacy was turning onto the road from a side street. The teenager t-boned her jeep, sending it dozens of yards away into a fence. She died on scene. 

Quinniyah Spead is one of countless students Ali-Lacy helped. She’s six months pregnant but says Ali-Lacy helped her get into college this fall. 

"And I still had the opportunities to do college field trips and she was just there for me," Spead said. "And I was a troublemaker. Anyways, she was still there for me."

Recently married this year, Ali-Lacy also had two kids. Her parents say it’s comforting to see the huge showing of support.

For each balloon released, Ali-Lacy ‘s family knows it symbolizes a heart their daughter touched. One that was always there to help and treat anyone as family.