LEAWOOD, Kan. — Friday marks exactly two months since a gunman opened fire on innocent people at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park. Police dubbed it a ‘hate crime,’ something family members of the victims are now using to spread a message of love.
April 13, 2014 was a true test of Mindy Corporon’s faith.
“It’s not easy every day,” she said Friday in an exclusive interview with FOX 4. “I go through crying spells and lots of sadness and really want them back.”
Her father, William Corporon and her 14-year-old son, Reat Underwood, both died within seconds of each other – caught in the crossfire of an act of hate.
“Because they were taken from us, this just really touched my heart that Reat and my dad deserved so much more than what happened to them,” Mindy said. “I feel like it’s a mission that I’ve been given.”
It’s a mission of transforming her family’s tragic story into a widespread message of love and faith. She just launched a new foundation, which bears the motto “Faith always wins”.
“’Faith wins’ means to me that there is a God,” she said. “That there is Heaven. That we will see our loved ones again and that they’re with us now in spirit.”
By selling t-shirts and wristbands, she hopes to raise $1 million. It’s money that will go to support William and Reat’s passions, including theatre, religion, medicine and encouraging random acts of kindness.
Mindy hopes it will change the lives of others, while honoring lives of her loved ones.
“I think that they’ve been very proud of what we’re doing,” she said. “I feel like they’re proud of it.”
Mindy plans to kick fundraising efforts into high gear with a concert this summer. She is mum on details for now, but stick with Fox 4 for details in the coming weeks.
Until then, if you want to donate to her family’s foundation, visit www.faithalwayswins.org or visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PopeyeandReat/timeline.
