Nearly four months ago 19 students and 2 teachers were gunned down by a lone shooter in Uvalde, Texas. We all remember this happening – seeing the heartbroken families, the innocent images of the children killed, and the heroic stories that came out of this senseless violent act.
For the families of the Uvalde shooting victims, this is something they most likely relive every single day. This sadness, grief, and loss are part of their world now, day in and day out.
Uvalde shooting victims remembered
A businessman in Eastman, Georgia has come up with a way to keep the spirits of these victims alive and provide them with the wings they deserve – through beautiful hand-crafted benches.
Sean Peacock is a graphic art designer specialising in wooden signs and metalwork. His company is called Jass Graphix and one of his popular items is the Butterfly Bench – customised benches for those mourning the loss of a loved one.
She had loved butterflies
In May, he received a request from a woman named April Elrod. She wanted a bench made up for her daughter, Makenna who had recently passed away. Mackenna loved butterflies and had recently been laid to rest in a dress covered in butterflies.
When we go visit her at the cemetery, there’s always butterflies around,” the mother said in an interview. “We’ve had butterflies in our cars and our houses, everywhere we go.”
April had begun creating a butterfly garden in her yard and when she saw the bench she thought it would be perfect.
I saw that butterfly bench and I thought that would be perfect [for the garden], somewhere to go sit and think about Makenna and talk to her,” she said.
April didn’t share the details of what had happened to Mackenna. Just that she loved butterflies. However, Sean Googled the daughter’s name and he realised she was one of the victims of the Uvalde shooting.
When I discovered that, that was the beginning of it all,” Sean said.
21 benches to remember 21 lives lost too soon
Sean then shared the bench and the story behind it with his family and friends on social media. Donations came rolling in immediately from those who wanted to help pay for the bench which retails for $1,800.
Sean then started a GoFundMe page, hoping that he would be able to raise enough funds to craft 20 more benches, dedicated to each person that lost their life in Uvalde. Within 48 hours, Sean had reached his goal.
On the day of Makenna’s funeral, I texted the mother and revealed to her what I did. I told her, ‘Your bench is paid for your precious child, and so are 20 more.’
Sean then set to work designing the rest of the benches. He spent hours messaging the families of the victims and received pictures as well as stories about each person.
With the help of a team of volunteers, Sean managed to craft 21 stunning benches, all personalised and ready to be delivered to the families.
It’s taken nearly four months to complete the project – 21 beautiful hand-crafted benches – but these are something that the Uvalde shooting families will cherish forever. It’s commitment and generosity like this that prove that there is light in this dark world.
We recently also shared another story about a custom casket designer who, thanks to the help of his community, designed and delivered personalised caskets for the Uvalde victims. You can read it here.
What to read next
- 19 Custom Caskets for the Children Killed in the Uvalde School Shooting
- Desperate Message After Son Takes His Life From Bullying
