Harrison Boonstoppel Foundation
Honoring Harrison's Memory
Together, we celebrate the life of Harrison Boonstoppel. Our foundation is dedicated to promoting kindness and community support in his honor, creating a brighter future.
Our Mission &
Vision
The Harrison Boonstoppel Foundation is a charitable organization founded to promote kindness and community support inspired by the tragic loss of Harrison Boonstoppel to gun violence in 2023. By facilitating acts of goodwill and providing a platform to share inspiring stories, we aim to honor his memory while working towards building a safer and more compassionate community. Together, we can foster positive change.
The Story of Harrison
The importance of kindness was something my son Harrison Boonstoppel always had throughout his life. My son Harrison and his twin sister, Ava, were born prematurely in June of 2003. They were welcomed into our family by my husband Karel and I, their big brother Nicholas, plus a large extended family and a community of friends. The path ahead wasn’t always an easy one for Harrison. He barely survived his first few months in the NICU as he contracted a staph infection through a breathing tube needed to survive with his underdeveloped lungs. The doctors were not sure he would make it…
After 40 days in the NICU, Harrison was then sent back to the hospital for a month of testing and the insertion of a feeding tube for all his eating/nutrition for the next 3 years.
To learn how to walk, he was fitted with leg braces and at age 3, we discovered he had severe hearing loss, probably caused by the antibiotics he received in the hospital for a staph infection. At age 5, Harrison was surgically fitted with a cochlear implant that allowed him to hear and grasp language. From 5th grade until graduation in 2022, Harrison attended Pepin Academies which nurtured him daily with kindness.
Harrison’s life was, in many ways, a beautiful shooting star passing through a whole lifetime in a few short years. He crammed more experiences, more adventures, and certainly more energy into every day of his life than many of us can do. And he had a smile that melted hearts.
Perhaps, because of his experiences with his challenges, he could be somewhat quiet---even shy---in new situations. But once he felt more at ease, the floodgates would open------and his exuberant love for life, for people, and for adventure would open as wide as his amazing smile. Harrison was gifted with an amazing capacity for empathy and compassion. This is a quality that is very appealing to those who may have their own struggles with uncertainty and certainly serve to draw others to him.
Harrison’s challenges may have meant that things that seemed simple for other kids weren’t as easy for him, but that didn’t discourage him from seeing life as an adventure. He lived at full speed. He loved camping trips and hiking and fishing with his friends. He skateboarded, he biked, and when he was old enough to drive, he picked out a bright blue Subaru that he absolutely LOVED. He was a source of laughter and love for all those who knew him, and he was well-known for his kindness and beautiful smile.
Harrison’s life ended on October 29, 2023. Going with two friends to Ybor City to watch a Halloween event with thousands dressed in costumes. He was only there 10 minutes. Going up 7th Ave and then back again to the garage where they had parked. 18 people shot plus everyone there that night had their lives changed forever.
Harrison was killed within seconds of the shooting. My son, an innocent bystander who had only been standing there for a few minutes, was killed by a 14-year-old boy with a stolen gun. Losing Harrison has broken the hearts of our family and everyone who knew him. That moment took away my bright, beautiful son… but it has led to the recognition of kindness and his legacy. “Let Kindness Win”
- Brucie Boonstoppel
(Harrison's Mom)