Celebrating Cayden

Cayden Willams, a fourth-grader from Ms. Onda's class at Near West Intergenerational School, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, June 6, 2022 due to a tragic freak accident involving a handgun. Cayden's family was completely unprepared for this loss, as were we here at Near West. Cayden was a charming young man that put a smile on everyone's faces at school. Cayden was LOVED by everyone at Near West. He was intelligent and sweet and a true joy to be around. He loved to read and was quite the creative writer, though he often told his teacher that his favorite subject was math. He loved to dance, do his back bends and cartwheels, and was an avid gamer looking forward to logging on with his friends from school in the evenings.

We are saddened to lose him as a student and as a friend. We want to support Cayden's family during this difficult time by helping them cover unexpected funeral costs.

It would be greatly appreciated if you could help lift some of the family's financial burden. Anything that you can give is helpful and much appreciated. Thank you.