The Garfield High School student body and Amarr’s Heart Foundation recently joined forces to honor the late Amarr Murphy-Paine with a drive, collecting socks, blankets, and other winter supplies for those in need for the second year in a row. In a surprise reveal, Arron Murphy-Paine, Amarr’s father and founder of Amarr’s Heart Foundation, was met with an overwhelming amount of necessities collected through the drive, including 2,000 pairs of socks that quadrupled the effort’s initial goal.

The drive was a tribute to Amarr, a beloved teammate and friend described as a "gentle giant" who tragically lost his life on campus on June 6, 2024. His teammate, Mason Bennett, shared that while trauma lives on within the Garfield community, preserving Amarr's memory is of utmost importance. Senior Zyanya Cortes-Arias noted that the student-led outreach, which leveraged social media and community partnerships, brought together students of all backgrounds in the name of Amarr, demonstrating his immense impact on the community.

For Arron, returning to the campus where his son died is always bittersweet, yet he chooses to give the community opportunities to show their love and service. "We control the narrative now,” he said. The 2,000 pairs of socks and other supplies were distributed to Seattle's homeless and disenfranchised populations on December 30th—what would have been Amarr’s 19th birthday— ensuring his legacy of kindness lives on.

To the students of Garfield High School, we see you, and we stand with you, now and always.

Long live Amarr Murphy-Paine 💜

This story was produced and edited by barry johnson.

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