Family-Run Company Custom Makes 19 Coffins For Victims Of Texas School Shooting
A father and son team have tirelessly handcrafted 19 custom caskets for the victims of the Uvalde shooting.
The caskets, for 18 students and one teacher, will be donated to the families at no cost, CNN reported.
Trey Ganem of SoulShine Industries told CNN that he and his 25-year-old son Billy worked around-the-clock to assemble, design, and deliver all 19 coffins to funeral homes.
The pair, alongside family, friends, and a handful of volunteers, worked for three days straight on the 19 caskets over the holiday weekend.
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The father-son-team ran on only about six hours of sleep to get the job done in time.
"We don't just paint caskets here; we represent the lives of the people who have passed," Trey told NBC5.
Ganem revealed he spoke to each family in order to create a unique and special final resting place for their loved one.
"No family should have to bury a child," he said.
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He added: "There were so many unique caskets that we [made] for these families.”
"We did one with a dinosaur holding a flashlight and a pickle. And when the families are telling us, we're like, 'Wait did you just tell me 'a flashlight, dinosaur and a pickle?' ... but for whatever reason, it was very special to them,” he told NBC5.
"It's not just about painting a casket, it's about helping those families to start their healing process."
Each casket costs between $3,400 ($AUD 4,735, £2,700) and $3,800 ($AUD 5,294, £3,017) to make. And while he has received a few donations to go towards the caskets for the Uvalde victims, his business has covered nearly the full costs for the families.
"I didn't even think twice when I was asked to do it," he said, adding that 'God always takes care of us' when doing projects such as this.
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This isn't the first time Ganem has provided support to families following a tragic loss. SoulShine also donated caskets to the victims of the Sutherland Springs shooting, as reported by the Chron.
The Sutherland Springs shooting killed 26 people in 2017, including an unborn child, according to NBC reports at the time.
News of Ganem's selfless act comes as the first Uvalde victim was laid to rest.
Ten-year-old Amerie Jo Garza was laid to rest on June 1.
The Guardian reports that 11 more funerals are planned for later in the week.
Rachel Lang