The Garfield Way: Turning Campus Trauma into a Mission of Mercy
Arron Murphy-Paine and his wife, Lakisha, joined Garfield High School students and staff who helped organize the sock drive in memory of Amarr Murphy-Paine. (Photos: Erik Kalligraphy)
By Omari Salisbury
Last Friday, the halls of Garfield High School felt a little different. In a room where the lights were dimmed, a surprise was waiting for Arron Murphy-Paine, the father of Amarr Murphy-Paine and CEO of Amarr’s Heart Foundation. As he walked in, he was met not just by students, but by a "Christmas tree" built entirely out of donation boxes.
Inside those boxes were over 2,000 pairs of socks, along with blankets, hygiene kits, and winter supplies. It was the culmination of a month-long drive—running from November 19 to December 19—organized by a student body still grappling with the loss of one of their own.
The Peacemaker’s Legacy
Amarr Murphy-Paine was more than just a name on a foundation; he was a teammate, a friend, and a "gentle giant" who loved music and football. On June 6, 2024, Amarr’s life was tragically cut short on campus while he was doing what came naturally to him: trying to break up a fight and keep the peace.
For his teammate Mason Bennett, now a senior, the loss remains a daily weight. "Every day I walk in here, I think about Amarr," Mason shared, describing the school environment as "traumatic" yet necessary to preserve Amarr's memory. Mason recalled a field trip to the Washington State Museum just a month before Amarr passed, a time when their bond tightened over talk of the upcoming football season and Amarr’s future as a starting linebacker.
More Than Just Socks
The goal for the student-led drive was originally 500 pairs of socks. By the end of the month, the Garfield community had quadrupled that number.
Unity Across Diversity: Student leader Zyanya Cortes-Arias noted that the drive brought students together regardless of grade, age, or ethnicity.
Student-Led Outreach: Students used TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook to spread the word, placing donation boxes in various locations to involve those outside the immediate Garfield community.
Community Support: The drive included contributions from students, staff, parents, and local organizations like I CAN.
Zyanya, who did not know Amarr personally but saw the pain in those she loved, said the effort was about "keeping his spirit alive" and showing that Amarr "brought light to everyone’s life".
A Bittersweet Redemption
For Arron Murphy-Paine, returning to the campus where his son died is always "bittersweet". He admitted to once holding resentment for the area, but chose to give the community an "opportunity to redeem themselves" through love and service.
"We control the narrative now," Arron said. "He will be great, because we control that narrative, and now everything that’s jumping behind it is nothing but love".
The foundation's motto, K.I.N.D. (Kind Interaction Negates Destruction), serves as a roadmap for this healing. Arron reflected on how his family used to give out leftovers and blankets even before Amarr passed, a tradition of service they have now officially attached to his son’s legacy.
The Road Ahead
As winter break begins, the work of Amarr’s Heart Foundation is just starting. These 2,000 pairs of socks and hundreds of blankets will be distributed to Seattle’s homeless and disenfranchised populations on December 30th, what would have been Amarr’s 19th birthday.
The trauma of gun violence at Garfield is a failure of the systems meant to protect our youth, a sentiment echoed by many who have seen these tragedies repeat over decades. Yet, in the face of that failure, the students of Garfield chose optimism. They chose to build a forest of kindness out of cardboard boxes and wool socks, ensuring that every person who receives a pair carries a small piece of Amarr’s heart with them.
As Mason Bennett put it, "The legacy is always going to live on... it has to live on the Garfield way".
