Photo: courtesy Scarlett Lewis
Jesse Lewis would have turned 13 on Sunday if he hadn’t been fatally shot as a first grader at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
His parents,Scarlett LewisandNeil Heslin, miss the energetic little boy who loved playing soccer like his big brother, snuggling with his mom and rubbing dirt on his face while helping his dad fix his truck to show that he worked hard.
“You laugh at the good memories,” says Heslin. “But it’s also heart-wrenching. He’s now been gone longer than we had him with us.”
The pain of losing a child “never goes away,” says Lewis.
Scarlett Lewis.Terryleecafferty.com
Launched six years ago,the downloadable programis now taught in all 50 states and in 80 countries — in schools, homes and places of employment.
Starting at 3 p.m. Sunday, the event will offer food and dancing. The aim is for people to “have a lot of fun, which is the message Jesse left for his brother the day he died,” says Lewis.
Courtesy Neil Heslin
The Rhode Island-based rocker learned about the program from his wife, Terry Lee Cafferty, who is an ambassador for the nonprofit.
“The Sandy Hook shooting made you want to do something to make sure this never happens again,” he says. “But what can you do? Well, Scarlett came up with a method and it’s a very good one.”
So good — and so effective, studies show, that in July, New Hampshire’s governorimplemented the curriculumas part of a statewide security plan.
The program works, says Lewis, because it gets to the heart of the issue: the unresolved anger and other negative feelings can lead to extreme violence.
“The reaction to school shootings is usually to focus on external safety measures,” says Lewis. “None of them address why a child would harm themselves or others. Social and emotional learning reduces and prevents violence, suicide, and substance abuse.”
While Cafferty describes himself as “just an old rock and roller,” he’s also a dad. “As parents, we want our kids to be healthy, happy and safe,” he says.
For ticket information, visitJesseLewisChooseLove.org.
source: people.com
