Honoring Heather Rosa - Ikaika's College Fund
My cousin Heather Rosa was a vibrant, dynamic woman: smart, strong, funny, beautiful, and kind. She was a wonderful mother and a fantastic daughter, sister, auntie, cousin and friend. She loved deeply, intensely, with all her heart; and she was deeply loved in return.
On October 29, 2012, Heather was killed in a cowardly act of domestic violence.
We are all coping with our grief and loss"”no one more than Ikaika, Heather's son. Heather dedicated her life to her son. As Heather said on Facebook, "I love this boy so much it's ridonkulous." One of her favorite phrases was "Love u Son to the Moon and Back......."With a mom like that, it's not surprising that Ikaika possesses all of his mother's great qualities, and many more. Now he's coping with an unthinkable loss. You can see Ikaika, as well as Heather's sister Kaleo, here, talking about losing Heather: http://youtu.be/URElTFdWd7A
Heather knew what a difference an education can make, and more than anything she wanted Ikaika to go to college. In Heather's honor, we are creating a college fund for Ikaika. We want to help fulfill Heather's dream by paying for Ikaika's tuition, books, room and board. We want Ikaika to have the time and space to take care of himself and nurture his dreams.
The US Department of Education estimates that a public college education costs around $15,000 per year"”that's $60,000 for a 4-year degree. So our goal is to raise $65,000 for Ikaika's education fund (the gofundme site takes 7.9%).
Donating isn't just about money. It's a symbol of the good in the world. We want Ikaika to know that there is more good in this world than bad. Let's pull together and show him just how many good people there are in this world"”people like his mom, Heather Rosa, and the many people she touched.
Any donation you make can make a difference. Thanks for your help.
To hear more about Heather and what is being done to honor her and other victims of domestic violence, watch this tribute from family friend and Hawaii news anchor Jai Cunningham: http://youtu.be/nzFEB3C-fUE . Jai took a stand, shaving his head during his broadcast to raise awareness of the impact of domestic violence"”and he has inspired many more men in Hawaii and on the mainland to do the same. Heather would love what he did.
