Made With Kindness Foundation Continues Legacy of Idaho Slayings Victims Through Scholarships and Support

The Made With Kindness Foundation, established in memory of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, is preparing for its third annual Make It Pink Gala on May 2, 2024, at The Coeur d’Alene Resort. The foundation aims to honor the legacies of Mogen, Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, and Ethan Chapin, who were tragically killed in November 2022, by providing scholarships and fostering kindness within the community.

Foundation Origins and Mission

Ashlin Couch, a close friend and former roommate of Mogen and Kernodle, co-founded the Made With Kindness Foundation with her mother, Angela Navejas. The organization seeks to refocus the narrative surrounding the four students and inspire hope and connection in Coeur d’Alene and Spokane County. Mogen’s mother, Karen Laramie, likewise serves on the nonprofit’s board.

The foundation’s primary initiative is to offer scholarships to college-bound high school seniors. In 2023, Made With Kindness awarded $30,000 to local students, including Kaylee Goncalves’ youngest sister, who is now attending college in Texas. This year, the organization plans to provide $45,000 in scholarships.

The Make It Pink Gala

The annual Make It Pink Gala is the foundation’s main fundraising event. The black-tie affair features a cocktail hour, prime rib and salmon dinner, live entertainment, and a silent auction. Navejas described the event as “extremely high energy” and designed to be “positive and uplifting—and it’s fun, too.”

Tickets and reserved tables for up to eight are available, as are event and foundation sponsorships. More information can be found at madewithkindnessfoundation.com.

Other Memorial Efforts

The Goncalves family is establishing a separate nonprofit, Kaylee Jade: Murder Has a Name, focused on raising funds to support crime victims and cover costs associated with advanced DNA perform for prosecutions. The Chapin family founded Ethan’s Smile Foundation, which awards college scholarships in Washington’s Skagit Valley.

Continuing Remembrance

Couch and Navejas also encourage acts of kindness and remembrance on Mogen and Kernodle’s birthdays, designated as Maddie May Day and Xanapalooza, respectively. “The biggest thing is just doing what you can now in the world, potentially an act of kindness or anything like that—or just spreading positivity in honor of them—is what they would have wanted,” Couch said.