BEND, Oregon. — A group of parents from Silver Rail Elementary School, the site of a mass shooting that led to the death of three children, a teacher, and the 16-year-old shooter on October 15, announced the launch of a non-profit to raise funds to help children who were at school that day recover from the trauma they experienced.
In a post on their GoFundMe page, Support Silver Rail Children’s Fund says it plans to use the money to work with local businesses to host activities and events.
The parents said they were grateful to businesses in the Bend community that offered free events for parents and students in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, but they noticed many kids weren’t ready to engage in big events then.
“This fund exists to support Silver Rail survivors in a way centered on what they need when they are ready: chances to be kids again, to laugh, to be together, and to have something good to look forward to,” the parents wrote. “Donations will be used first to sponsor Silver Rail Elementary student trips to local pumpkin patches, continue the FC Timbers Camp that was so helpful to our families, start pottery and art classes, parks and rec passes, movie tickets, mini golf, museum passes, and camp spots.”
The fund says it will use the money raised to pay local businesses for these services in full.
Bend’s school district announced Tuesday that the school will remain closed through October for repairs. The fund says it plans to provide ways for kids to connect with each other in the interim and beyond.
They say the organization’s long-term goal is to provide scholarships to invest in the futures of the kids who survived October 15
Information on Fund’s operations and how to donate is available on their GoFundMe page: Fundraiser by Nicole Ybarrondo : Support Silver Rail Children’s Fund.