'Fly Like Chi' family to appear on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' June 5

Thursday, May 25, 2023
Craig and Miranda Coleman, and their children Malachi and Nevaeh.
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LINCOLN, Neb. – As a four-star recruit and the top high school prospect in the state of Nebraska, Husker wide receiver commit Malachi Coleman is expected to make a huge impact on the football field.

Off the field, however, Coleman’s effect could be even bigger. He’s the founder of the Fly Like Chi Foundation, aimed at improving opportunities for foster children. The organization’s mission is to give back to kids in care, providing “foster children with opportunities to thrive in sports, arts, and more,” according to www.flylikechi.org. Since its inception last year, the group has impacted 127 children and raised $14,000, says the website.

Malachi Coleman, along with his sister, Nevaeh, were dropped on a “friend’s” doorstep at ages 5 and 2 before entering foster care. After four years of foster care, which found them bouncing between three separate homes and facing separation from each other, abuse, and other challenges, they found Craig and Miranda Coleman.

Craig Coleman, grew up in McCook, graduating from McCook High School in 1996. Craig’s parents are Charles and Christina Coleman, both residents of McCook.

As the Colemans got into foster care, Malachi and Nevaeh spent every weekend with the family before Craig and Miranda officially adopted them in November 2014 on National Adoption Day.

The path to recovery wasn’t easy. “Malachi was so broken, as he felt no self-worth toward himself and no reason to believe he was of value to anyone,” said Craig. Childhood trauma had taken its toll, and Miranda was among those growing frustrated. When Malachi’s story initially aired on national news with “On the Road with Steve Hartman” on CBS, Miranda spoke on how she helped him find that value.

“I threw out at least a hundred ideas of things he could do. Exasperated, I finally said, ‘What about holding a door? Can you hold one door for one person?’And he finally went, ‘I can hold a door.’”

After that day, Malachi quickly found his purpose: to help others. He bolstered his healing process through sports, and Craig said, “he found it therapeutic to have a physical outlet when he was feeling down on himself.” That outlet turned him into the top-ranked high school football recruit in the state of Nebraska. With his notoriety and the recent passing of the NCAA’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policy, which allows college athletes to be compensated in advertisements and other media they’re featured in, Malachi approached Nick Maestas, who owns the Muchachos restaurant in Lincoln, about promoting a burrito.

Instead of pocketing the profits from the deal, however, Malachi decided to donate them to the KVC agency that housed him during his youth and the Foster Care Closet, which supports foster children by providing outfits and other services. After seeing how much his giving helped others, Craig and Miranda sprang into action. They helped set up the Fly Like Chi Foundation as a 501(c)(3) charity in order to be able to provide an even bigger impact. The children supported by the foundation are able to pursue their passions like Malachi did, giving them an outlet to participate in sports, arts, music, academics, and other activities that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do.

The family is now scheduled to appear on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” on June 5. They were contacted by the show’s staff after they watched the story on the previous CBS segment, and wanted to do a segment “because they loved how Malachi has used his platform to give back and help others,” according to Craig. The episode will air on NBC at 2 p.m. CDT.

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