MOSCOW, Idaho – It’s been a year-and-a-half since four University of Idaho students were killed in their off-campus home. The murders captured the world’s attention. A shocking, unimaginable, absolutely heartbreaking time for our community.
Since the murders in November of 2022, foundations have been created to honor and remember the victims – Kaylee Goncalves, Maddison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle.
Last week NonStop Local’s John Webb told you about Ethan’s Smile. 33 students are now heading to college because of the generous donations you gave in Ethan’s name, and now another opportunity to give out scholarships in honor of Kaylee and Maddie.
It’s been a tough road for the Goncalves family, but a shimmer of light being cast down from Kaylee and Maddie.
The Made With Kindness Foundation is spreading the love and heart that the two girls had, and they hope you, too, can share that love.
“I just wish she could know how much people love her. People really do, they really do. It feels good,” Kristi Goncalves, the mother of Kaylee Goncalves, said.
Kaylee and Maddie had smiles that could light up your entire day.
“She’d be planting that smile of hers. Bouncing all around that room,” Steve Goncalves, the father of Kaylee Goncalves, said.
“Oh my gosh, Kaylee would be thrilled, I mean, she would be ecstatic,” Kristi said.
The smile she’d have to find out the good people are doing in honor of her and Maddie.
“I want people to remember the beautiful souls that they were. Because they were. Everybody who knew Maddie and Kaylee just knew that they were just sparks of energy and just beautiful inside and out,” Angela Navejas, the founder of the Made With Kindness Foundation, said.
“So this is my silent auction room,” Navejas said while looking at all of the items donated for the Make it Pink Gala. “For now, it’s a bit of a mess, but it won’t be that way much longer. Soon the items, scattered in a home office, will be auctioned off at the Make it Pink Gala.
“We’ve had people calling in, wanting to donate,” Navejas said.
Dozens of baskets from local businesses, people from other states and a football, signed by a Seattle Seahawks player.
“It makes me feel really good just because I know that we can’t do this without the community,” Navejas said.
The money raised will go toward scholarships for local kids.
“What happened should have never happened and if this is something that I can do to put a smile on the family’s face and if I could make a difference in a child going to school that could use that money,” Navejas said.
“I think that’s going to be very cool to see when these kids are picked and to see them accept the scholarships,” Kristi said.
“We’ve just had so much love from so many different people that we just want to give that back to those communities that have helped us,” Steve said.
Even with all of the good this foundation will bring, for the Goncalves it’s hard to comprehend that this is all even happening.
“You know it’s sad, it’s hard to be like, I said, excited because it’s such a double-edged sword. It’s like wait a minute, how can I be excited? But you know, (we’re) as excited and happy as we could be. We’re all kind of in the thick of it together and we know they love our daughter, we know they do. It’s very clear,” Kristi said.
“I just want their legacy to be remembered and honored and that is a lot of the reason I’m doing the foundation is to keep their memory alive,” Navejas.
Making hope out of a heart-rending situation.
“We want to reflect that to all of America what happens when something bad happens to us, we come together and we handle our business and we make things better,” Steve said.
The Make it Pink Gala is on June 15. The event has already sold out.
Your donation to the silent auction would be greatly appreciated. You can donate at this link or you can also email me at John.Webb@NonStopLocal.com.
Right now the foundation is looking for flight miles for a trip package to Seattle and Phoenix and clubs for a golf package. Any other donations are accepted too.
