OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — The friends of shooting victim Reat Underwood say they want the focus on Friday to be his life and memory. The teens are making plans to counter a protest announced by a Topeka church known for funeral picketing. This comes as the shootings aren’t even a week old.
One Blue Valley student is doing what he can to make sure Underwood’s family’s day is filled with love. Blue Valley High School junior Jack Carrigan sat a dining room table covered with posters, paint and markers on Wednesday night. He’s not really into art and his efforts aren’t for a school project.
What he’s doing is an undertaking on his own volition.
“We have hearts with his initials and the date of his death,” said Carrigan.
He’s making posters in memory of Underwood, even though he didn’t know him well.
When Carrigan found out that the church in Topeka with a penchant for protesting would be at Reat’s funeral, he started buying supplies. He’s created dozens of posters with Bible verses and Reat’s favorite quotes, and will hold them with other students at his funeral.
“We’re going to be standing at the entrance of the funeral that the family will be processing through,” he said.
Even though Reat’s funeral will have some hate, Carrigan knows what he’s creating at his dining room table will prove that love conquers all.
“We are there to say ‘hey, these people don’t really matter, their opinion doesn’t matter because we’re here for you and we’re here for your family,’” he said.
Carrigan sent out a tweet asking for other student’s help. It was retweeted almost 500 times.
Please take a few minutes to read this and RT! The more people who come, the less impact Westboro has pic.twitter.com/8NQvtiQLUM
— Jack Carrigan (@Sperrigan) April 15, 2014
Students from all over the Blue Valley School District will be helping him now.