Founder of Uvalde Foundation For Kids Addresses Sebastian Rogers Case
"The Uvalde Foundation For Kids recently announced, via various social networking sites, including TwitterX and Facebook, that it is ending its various search efforts to find missing 15 year old Sebastian Rogers. Since that announcement, as of this morning, several of our posts to this effect were removed by our media team members, due to inappropriate messages being tagged to those postings. We felt it necessary to clarify that the foundation is in fact, ending its search efforts. I personally, as the founder of the foundation felt it time, albeit briefly, to address this & a few other related items more formally.
Many have asked, why we have ceased our efforts for Sebastian? Many have also even gone on more recently to question the legitimacy of our involvement in this case; with recent theorists going so far as to challenge the legitimacy of both our hearts & efforts; overall as a foundation.. A rather entertaining, amateur news report on our foundation from our beginnings, now almost 2 years ago, has even been circulated. It is time to more formally respond and as the founder of the Uvalde Foundation For Kids, that task ultimately falls upon my shoulders.
Summarily & hopefully, briefly - Our foundation is not law enforcement & became involved in this particular case, due to its nature involving an amazing young man, Sebastian. While it was not "Parallel," to our nonprofits work to prevent school violence, as a nonprofit student & youth advocacy organization, we could not turn a blind eye to his plight. Too many organizations and individuals do just that. We avoid getting involved because it is not our business, or we feel we are under qualified or too young or worried what others will think.
Whatever the reasonings, they are unacceptable. Since Uvalde, Texas our foundation has been dedicated to protecting youth & serving them. In this case, it didn't matter to us that it was not a school violence related case. It was a case involving a child missing & as a nonprofit we had resources. As individuals, we are mothers & fathers & family members, beyond anything else. How could we remain silent?
In an attempt to provide any help we could initially through our STOPNOW safety response volunteer teams - we teamed our own network of volunteers & online crisis team members, including students themselves from our national network; searching, passing out fliers, making phone calls & more. As this progressed, from Tennessee to Mississippi to Alaska we became increasingly convinced of the culpability of certain members of Sebastian's family in his dissapearance. That factor has not changed & we have made that stance public. Why?
Just as holding parents accountable when their child enters a school & kills students is appropriate, the foundation asserts that holding family members publicly accountable when their child is endangered or harmed in any way, due to their potential negligence or worse is also most appropriate.
Now, as the case has gravitated toward a criminal investigation, which we will not comment on; coupled with our now limited resources; our foundation ultimately initially elected to scale down our efforts & ultimately cease them. As alluded to above, some have challenged the foundations purpose here. I addressed that in the aforementioned. Some have stated we are seeking monetary gain from the "Hype," of the circumstance.
We have heard this rhetoric before. Since our inception following the Uvalde, Texas mass shooting, there have been those who would challenge us, saying in part that the foundation was established to monetarily benefit from the events of tragedies such as what occurred that fateful day in May 2022.
The Foundation has not received one monetary donation since becoming involved with the efforts for Sebastian & since our inception, noone within the foundation; myself nor any of our team, have ever received a paycheck or compensation for any of our work with the foundation overall. Since our inception our foundation has received on average the last year of less than $85 monthly in donations with us contributing thousands to our efforts, often with funds from our own pockets.
In fact several hours from now, I will head to my full time job as a restaurant server to help the foundation make ends meet, along with my own personal family. I have personally been silent on this, but could be so no more.
Finally, a rather entertaining, incomplete, student article focused more on grammar concerns, website photos & here say, was published well over a year ago challenging the foundations purpose, primarily due to our not being physically in Uvalde. Do we need to be to help? That single article, focused on grammar & herehas further been used to discredit our overall work. We are aware of its contents & quite frankly do not care to waste further time addressing the piece itself. It is why we have ignored its existence in the past. When weighed against the over 65 other media pieces nationally written on the foundation, the East Lansing piece is irrelevant. Particularly in light of our proven efforts nationally.
All of the above noted, I believe that is enough said for now. We continue on. Surely we will meet some of you along the way & wish you peace."
I have included a far more flattering & younger, photo of myself & my son than has been circulating.. 😂
Daniel Chapin, Founder
The Uvalde Foundation For Kids
254 206 9089
