Community shows support for family of Kyle Doan as search enters ninth day

In the days since the search for Kyle Doan began near San Miguel, community members on the Central Coast have started distributing green ribbons and stickers to raise awareness and support Kyle's family.

“The green ribbon represents a child or a person that is missing,” said Mary Booker, who has made the ribbons available at the One Stop Food shop in downtown Paso Robles.

“We have had a pile for a few days and then it started going down, so some people brought more. People were asking about them and we got to tell more people about it,” added Hannah Shibley, of SloDoCo in Atascadero.

Meantime on Facebook, an open community group titled “Bring Kyle Home” has circulated around social media, where prayers and well wishes have been shared by thousands, along with updates on the continued search.

(Courtesy: Katarena Messer/Tyler Doan)

“As we go out into the community wearing our ribbons and people ask, 'What does the green ribbon represent? Why are you wearing it?; then we let them know that Kyle Doan is still missing, and we will continue to wear these ribbons as long as he is missing,” Booker told KSBY.

Mel Gonzalez of San Miguel was walking her niece home from Lillian Larsen Elementary School on Tuesday. She says the news about Kyle has spread quickly throughout the school, as well as in her small town and beyond.

“You come to San Miguel and you see people parked by the ‘Welcome to San Miguel’ sign, you go up to Bradley and there are people by the bridge, also. Everyone is looking, even if it is just with binoculars, checking to see if they see anything. It is really cool to see how this small community is coming together,” Gonzalez said,

She says her nieces and nephews are around the same age as 5-year-old Kyle, adding that she has been holding onto them tighter since the search began.

“This has definitely hit home for a lot of people. We have the elementary school right here, the kids pass through here every single day. I can’t even begin to imagine; it just breaks my heart,” she said.

The Green stickers and ribbons are available for free, and Booker says she has already had to refill her jar twice from the many people who have stopped by to pick some up.

“We can’t do anything alone. It literally takes a village for everything. When you have this kind of tragedy and see this outpouring of love and support, not only do we need this for Kyle and his family, but in general for every aspect of life,” Booker added.

Green stickers or ribbons can be found at the following locations:

• Savage Spirits & Deli, Paso Robles
• AutoZone, Atascadero
• SLODOCO, Atascadero
• One Stop Food, Paso Robles

At Lillian Larsen Elementary, school leaders are taking steps to provide support for their students and staff.

Kyle attended the school and his mother is a teacher there.

Karen Grandoli, principal and superintendent to San Miguel schools, says additional counselors have been brought on campus to help students and staff members cope with the situation.

She says a therapy dog also made a visit to the school after San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow offered to have one brought in.

Grandoli adds that hospice reached out to the school and will be preparing care packages for Kyle’s class. She says fellow staff at Lillian Larsen are showing support for kyle's mother as well.

“Teachers and faculty members have been donating sick days to help Lindsy get through it. We don't want Lindsy to focus on anything about work right now. We know her focus has to be on Kyle and her family,” Grandoli said.

She says some faculty members have also even opened up their homes to the Doan family as the search continues

Tuesday, search efforts were focused around the San Marcos Creek and Salinas River. The sheriff's office says the search is expected to continue throughout the week, if needed.