By admin 
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — This Pride Month, the Charlotte community is remembering Lance Sotelo, a known Queens University track star and member of the LGBTQ community.
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He was killed in a hit-and-run earlier this year in Charlotte. In the wake of that tragedy, his family and loved ones are working to keep his legacy alive.
“Authentic, joyful, just full of life,” said James Holt, Lance’s partner. “He was a one-of-a-kind person.”
Those qualities are what Lance’s partner says helped him shine on and off the track. He was a decorated cross-country and track-and-field runner.
“Running was his life, his hobby,” said Holt.
It’s also what Lance was doing when he died. He was involved in a hit-and-run near the intersection of The Plaza and East 36th Street on January 14. Investigators say the driver was speeding and ran a red light.
“It was just such a major blow to all of us,” said Holt.
A permanent memorial now sits at the street corner. It features a rainbow-knitted covering on the crosswalk post and a photo of Lance, with a note on the back that reads “run fast forever”.
“We had big dreams for Lance,” said his mom, Jeanne Sotelo. “We knew he was going to be something important and somebody important one day. And I feel like we felt the need to carry on his impact, like the impact that he made on other people.”
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So his mom and dad, Jesus Sotelo, started Lance’s Legacy.
“We can never be Lance and we can never be like Lance, but we can do something that would help people the way Lance did,” said Jeanne.
It’s a foundation giving scholarships to help young runners achieve their dreams. The Sotelos gave out the first one last month.
“It’s more about remembering his life rather than what happened at his death and just giving opportunity to students and young runners,” said Holt.
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His parents say running is what gave Lance his confidence.
“It saved him,” said Jeanne. “I mean it really did. He was a young boy who in elementary school realized he was gay, but he did not feel comfortable coming out until he was older and that really didn’t happen until he had started running.”
To raise money for the foundation, Lance’s parents will host their first 5K and fun run this fall on Lance’s birthday, October 3, in his hometown of Dalton, Georgia.
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