Georgia man delivers 21 handmade memorial benches to families of Uvalde school shooting victims

For the past two months, Sean Peacock, a smaller enterprise owner in Eastman, Ga, and his group have worked time beyond regulation to make 21 customized memorial benches by hand, one particular for every of the victims of the mass taking pictures at Robb Elementary University in Uvalde, Texas.

Above the weekend, the benches were driven in a donated U-Haul trailer above 1,200 miles from Eastman to Uvalde, the place Peacock is now individually offering them to every victim’s family members.

“These benches are just a minimal momentary, stunning present honoring their special, beautiful young children,” Peacock informed “Good Morning The us.”

Referring to himself and the 21 households, he included, “We are eternally linked.”

Peacock, the proprietor of the graphic arts business enterprise Jass Graphix, explained he had no link to Uvalde prior to getting an purchase inquiry in late Might from April Elrod, the mom of 10-yr-old Makenna Lee Elrod, 1 of the 19 students who died in the Could 24 taking pictures, together with two of their academics.

Peacock stated the unique inquiry requested more data about butterfly memorial benches he sells on Etsy, the first of which he created for his mother right after his sister’s dying in 2008.

Elrod instructed ABC News that she seen the bench on Etsy simply because of its butterfly structure. Makenna, in accordance to Elrod, liked butterflies and was laid to rest sporting a purple dress with butterflies on it.

“When we go go to her at the cemetery, you will find often butterflies all-around. We have experienced butterflies in our vehicles and our homes, in all places we go,” explained Elrod, who is making a butterfly yard at her dwelling. “I observed that butterfly bench and I imagined that would be ideal, somewhere to go sit and believe about Makenna and speak to her.”

Elrod mentioned she achieved out to Peacock hoping to obtain just one bench for herself and one particular bench for Makenna’s dad for Father’s Working day.

According to Peacock, Elrod did not recognize herself as the mom of a Uvalde sufferer, but simply requested if the benches could be custom made for the loss of a little one, provided her daughter’s title and questioned if the $1,800 benches would be discounted if she obtained additional than just one.

Peacock mentioned he went on line and searched the phrases Elrod and Uvalde.

“Lo and behold, variety just one on the list, Makenna Lee Elrod, the identical title that that momma made use of,” he explained. “When I uncovered that, that was the beginning of it all.”

Peacock said he posted about the get inquiry on his private Fb web site, and without having generating any specific ask for, donations started coming to him from mates and relatives who desired to pay for a memorial bench for Makenna.

Wanting to provide a bench for not just Makenna but just about every of the 21 victims, Peacock started a GoFundMe with a objective of increasing $20,000.

Much less than 48 several hours immediately after launching the GoFundMe, a lot more than $23,000 had been donated.

“On the day of Makenna’s funeral, I texted the mom and unveiled to her what I did,” recalled Peacock. “I informed her, ‘Your bench is compensated for for your valuable youngster, and so are 20 additional.'”

More than the up coming many weeks, Peacock stated he spoke with relatives users of every of the victims — all fourth-grade students and their two academics — to understand additional about them and their life.

Then, he and his team commenced to make the benches by hand. Every capabilities a picture at the middle of the butterfly wings that type the back of the bench, and inscriptions from each family members on the seat.

“It’s a blessing,” Elrod explained of Peacock’s generosity.

“He and I’ve been speaking because and when I am possessing a lousy working day, he just appears to be to be the a single that messages and says you know, we are praying for you,” Elrod added of Peacock. “Her story has introduced men and women closer with each other. And I indicate, what much more can you check with for?”

For a standard buy, one bench may perhaps take as lengthy as 6 months to full, according to Peacock, but his team labored alongside one another to make all 21 in a lot less time than that. In addition to a bench, each and every family members is also obtaining an out of doors memorial sign, duplicates of which will be supplied to the town of Uvalde to use in a neighborhood memorial, in accordance to Peacock.

“There’s a lot of labor that goes into this,” mentioned Peacock, adding that personnel from all components of his enterprise volunteered their time to function on the undertaking. “This is a really unique, precious merchandise in any situation.”

In addition to Peacock’s small business, the entire town of Eastman also became concerned in the undertaking, with organizations and people today donating almost everything from white crosses for each individual family members to custom hand-sewn pillows for just about every bench.

On Sunday, the neighborhood gathered for a prayer assistance to pray over the benches in advance of they had been pushed to Uvalde in a U-Haul truck that was paid for by the metropolis, according to Rev. Tyler Kirkley, the pastor of Lakeside Assembly of God, where by Peacock is a member.

Kirkley traveled with Peacock to Uvalde to personally provide the benches to the victims’ family members.

“My prayer, my hope is that appreciate will make a distinction, and when they sit on these benches, they’re going to be reminded of a really like that can adjust the world,” stated Kirkley.

“If you stick a light in a extremely darkish location, it shines its brightest,” he extra. “That is what we want to do and that is what we want the earth to see.”

Peacock said he plans to remain in touch with every single relatives he has spoken to, and said he hopes the kindness he and others have demonstrated exhibits the people today of Uvalde that there is still superior in the planet.

“That is an act of evil that occurred out there,” he reported of the school taking pictures. “What took place in Eastman, Ga, is the opposite of that. It was an act of adore, of compassion, donation, consideration. This is a tale proceeds to just be a really like tale.”

ABC News’ Jenny Wagnon Courts and Kiara Alfonseca contributed to this report.