We often talk about rebounding on the WASP. It may not be much harder than this since we spoke earlier in 2022 about Holocaust survivor Lili Berliner. Today we talk with Rick Townsend, whose lovely daughter Lauren was one of 12 students murdered at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Rick is the president of the Columbine Memorial Foundation, which maintains the beautiful memorial in Clement Park adjacent to the school. It’s a place that allows quiet reflection and healing, and does a fantastic job of remembering the innocent lives lost. I met Rick, along with former Columbine principal Frank DeAngelis, in September at the Dave Sanders Invitational cross country meet, named after the heroic teacher and coach who died protecting his students. Both Rick and Frank impressed me with their passion and devotion to the memorial and to remembering the victims and supporting the entire Columbine community. I’ve always been awed that Mr. DeAngelis stayed on as principal until kids who were in kindergarten at the time had eventually graduated from Columbine, spending almost 35 years at the school. To this day, he remains the person who the media seek out following yet another school tragedy, and one of the first to reach out to those stricken communities. I hope you will appreciate this poignant and inspirational conversation, and consider helping the Columbine Memorial Foundation, which as Rick explains, has many expenses related to upkeep, weather the elements, updated the lighting system, and more. Columbinememorial.org has the story, pictures, and an opportunity to donate.

Rick and I mention here the inspiring documentary 13 Families: Life After Columbine, which is a very moving tribute to the 13 beautiful souls lost that day.  I will send the DVD copy that Rick gave to me to the first person who contacts me at one of the addresses below.  If you are not the first responder, it is also available on Amazon.

Rick Townsend
Columbinememorial.org
[email protected]
Facebook Columbine Memorial Foundation

Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram @stahlor