Newtown, Connecticut: One Year Later

December 20, 2013: I reflect on the first anniversary of that terrible day when the innocent lives of 20 children and 6 adults in Newtown, Conn. were taken, and can’t imagine how difficult it must be for those families to overcome such a tragic loss a year later, especially during the holiday season. I’ve heard that some families have found strength through forgiveness and have moved on, others have taken up new causes in the name of lost loved ones, while others remain as an open wound, unable to move forward. This tragedy struck me deeply, as a father, man, and human being. This is why I took it upon myself to raise more than $17,600 to help Sandy Hook Elementary School children recover and excel past this devastating event.

Using the popular fundraising site IndieGoGo®, my personal contribution along with the generous contributions from supporters quickly surpassed my original goal. Due to the viral nature of the campaign and its promotion on one of the top sites on the Internet, Inbox.com, this campaign proved to be an efficient means of fundraising for the children who were so wrongfully harmed.

Like the Sandy Hook Elementary PTA, I, too, believe it is important that we strive to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and their surrounding communities. We need to advocate for the safety, education, and love for all children around the world.

It is my hope that the fundraising efforts and its positive resulting effects have made us all more aware of our children, and that it prevents a future catastrophe like this from ever happening again.