CONWAY, Wash. — In October of 2023, Jim and Stacy Chapin visited the Sigma Chi Fraternity at the University of Idaho for the presentation of the Sigma Chi Ethan Chapin Memorial Scholarship.
They were also preparing for the year mark of the devastating loss of their son Ethan. He and three other college students were tragically murdered in a home on King Road in November of 2022. He is so missed.
"Kindness, inclusiveness, humor. He was so funny. Boy, that kid, he loved unconditionally, he loved everybody," said Stacy Chapin, Ethan's mom. "He was just the kindest kid, it's such a big loss."
In the spring of 2023, The Chapins started the Ethan's Smile Foundation with plans to carry on Ethan's legacy in the form of scholarships. This month, they turned that dream into a reality. The foundation granted 33 scholarships to students heading to college in Ethan's name.
"It's bittersweet, everything we do is bittersweet," said Stacy Chapin.
The Chapin family held a scholarship award presentation at Conway School in Washington State. That's where Ethan went to school as a little boy.
"In the first round of scholarships for our foundation, we gave out 33 scholarships totaling 50k, which is amazing," said Chapin. "But more importantly, we have a large sum of money invested to make sure we can do this every single year."
Stacy Chapin says donations for the Ethan's Smile Foundation have come in from all over the world. Big and small. At the scholarship event, she shared her feelings about seeing this dream come to life.
"There were a lot of touching moments tonight," said Chapin. "I mean it would be easy to curl up and call it a day, right? But the only thing we can do is put our best foot forward in Ethan's name."
She says the foundation is a much-needed path to healing for the whole family, including Ethan's sister Maizie and brother Hunter, who are still students at the University of Idaho. Ethan was a triplet, and his loss has been really devastating for them.
"One of the questions I get asked a lot is how Hunter and Maizie are doing," said Chapin. "When they are at college, they are pretty insulated from anything, including the news. That's our job as parents, to manage the trial, the media. It's really the worst of circumstances, it's the worst of anything you can literally dream up, right? And so, to be a triplet and to lose one of those kids, I cannot begin to articulate the hole that those kids feel."
But, despite the pain, Stacy said carrying on Ethan's legacy is something Hunter and Maizie want to be a part of.
"I think they could feel it tonight," said Chapin. "I'm so proud of them. Maize and Hunter deserve an incredible life.
Ethan's memory lives on in them, the foundation, and in the kids who were awarded scholarships. Some of them are from right here in the Treasure Valley. Many are headed to the University of Idaho.
"The families of the recipients were so appreciative, each of the scholarship kids were so sweet," said Chapin. "It turned out to be amazing."
The Chapin family's goal is to grow the foundation and continue to award scholarships to students for years to come.
The Ethan's Smile Foundation is a 501c-3 and every single donation goes to scholarships.
For more information on the foundation, and how to donate, click here.
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