LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - A local photographer, Lizzy Yates, honored men and women in uniform ahead of Memorial Day this afternoon. She provided families a keepsake to cherish forever with a free photo shoot at the Castle on Stagecoach in Little Rock.
Her pro bono photo session is an annual event. About two dozen families turned out, including Allie Staton.
She took photos to honor her husband, while the photographer honored his sacrifice and that of many others.
"I have become friends with lots of people on Facebook recently, firefighters and law enforcement from all over,” said Staton.
Yates thinks it’s important for everyone to do special and show appreciation for men and women in uniform, and their families.
Staton found out about the shoot through Facebook, like many others in the community. She reached initially just to express her gratitude.
“Honestly it was to thank her for doing this event for families, it would have meant so much to have known about it in the past,” she said. Staton’s husband, Eli, passed away in February.
He was a Firefighter and Paramedic at the North Little Rock Fire Department.
The only photoshoot the two ever had together was at their wedding.
“We've been married three and half years. I've been in pharmacy school the entire time. Everyone knows, like most fire fighters, they're working every third day. They spend a third of their life at the fire department,” said Staton.
As a photographer, Yates thinks pictures are the perfect way she can make a difference and that unexpected, unfortunate realities like Staton's show how important photographs can be to families.
“It's been difficult to put all the things that go along with the death of a spouse on the backburner for the last few months to continue my degree in pharmacy. I know that's what he wouldve wanted, our whole lives have been around that,” Staton said.
She completed graduated pharmacy school yesterday.