Prior to his death Chandler was set to start mentoring a young boy on his school bus. That boy sat with Chandler's jacket on the school bus every day. Chandler had also befriended a young female friend who has been sexually assaulted. He was discreetly helping her through this traumatic time with empathy and compassion. Chandler also had become friends with a young boy at school who was homeless. Chandler offered this boy dinner at his home, hot showers and rides where he needed to go. This young man, an artist, in turn taught Chandler how to draw in appreciation. We never knew this boy’s story until we saw him after Chandler's death. He told us that Chandler was his only true friend at one point in his life. These kids are a true testament to Chandler's ever-loving heart and compassion.

My nephew grew up to be such a warm, loving and well-rounded young man. He was so handsome, entertaining and athletic. He was adored by female and male friends alike. At last count I knew of ten people who called Chandler their best friend, everyone was so drawn to his energy and carefree zest for life. If you were to look at a picture of Chandler’s friends, it would look something like a United Nations photo.

He never cared about color, shape, size or status of anyone. If Chandler liked you and brought you into his life, differences mattered not. Loyalty was the word that would have best described Chandler when he came to his friends of all ages.

Chandler’s memorial service brought in over 900 people to say their last goodbyes. Young and old, friends and teachers, local businessmen and community leaders all were touched by our Chandler. That day more than ever we realized how special our little boy was. Chandler’s friends still stop by to check on us and several of them call or email just to say hello. These gestures are clear representations of what Chandler meant to his friends and the values they shared. Chandler Clark's life represented what the future of teens should be...honest, caring and overall an outstanding contribution to society. He was someone who added value  to his community and those around him. We all knew Chandler would be an angel; we just never expected him to have to leave and claim his wings so soon.

My family has dedicated our lives to increasing the awareness of teen violence and spreading Chandler's Legacy. We have teamed up with the St. Cloud Rotary Club in an effort to gain more community awareness and to allow us to host more community events. We have also devoted our efforts to participating in community events such as walks, parades and festivals to continue to spread the word about teen violence. We look forward to continuing to educate those in community about the dangers of teen violence.