NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - You have probably heard a lot about The Uvalde Foundation for Kids on WSMV4 and other news outlets. The organization has weighed in on several gun-related bills in our state. WSMV4 has been getting emails from viewers wanting to know more about the foundation, so WSMV4 Investigates looked into it.
The Uvalde Foundation for Kids said it is a nonprofit dedicated to ending school violence. A quick check of the IRS website shows that they are nationally registered as a 501(c)(3) that formed in July 2022. Their founder, Daniel Chapin, said it was in response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde in May 2022.
WSMV4 Investigates found the foundation is out of Temple, Texas, which is about four hours away from Uvalde. It is unclear if Chapin has any personal connection to the school. His LinkedIn page does not list any experience other than his current role as founder.
Chapin has said previously that Nashville has a close place in his heart following The Covenant School shooting. Shortly after the shooting, they said they would start neighborhood patrols to keep kids safe. Additionally, their website lists the City of Nashville Metro Council as a “partner.”
WSMV4 Investigates reached out to the mayor’s office who told us the website is correct in stating that. The mayor’s office said former council member Jeff Syracuse hosted a public health and safety committee meeting last year where the president of The Uvalde Foundation, Michael Stevens, was on a panel discussing gun violence in schools.
“We have to hold our politicians accountable,” Stevens said at the event in June 2023.
Their most recent involvement in Nashville was supporting a hunger strike and encouraging people not to eat to protest the armed teacher bill.
“This is not a game we are playing,” Chapin said in a Zoom interview last week about the protest. “This is a serious thing. If students are being involved in this, we are encouraging them to do a juice fast.”
Their mission statement is about ending the cycle of school violence, but we found they have gotten involved in cases outside of that scope, including the Sebastian Rogers case. We reached out to Chapin to ask more questions about him and his foundation. We are waiting for a response.
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