Former University of Idaho victim’s employer honors memory with tulip

The former Skagit Valley employer of one of the victims of the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students last November has found a way to honor Ethan Chapin and create a living legacy.

Tulip Valley Farms is known for its many colorful fields of flowers that brighten Mount Vernon and Burlington every spring.

Suspect in University of Idaho murders arrested in PA

Tulip Valley Farms CEO Andrew Miller says Ethan will be remembered for his teamwork and can-do attitude.

“I will remember Ethan standing in the tulip fields with a big smile, surrounded by people that know and love him,” said Miller.

After Ethan’s death, Miller was contacted by friends and family members to see if there was a way the former employee’s life could be memorialized.

They came up with the idea of creating Ethan’s Smile tulip bulb mix in his honor.

“We couldn’t name a tulip after Ethan because that’s actually really bureaucratic and involves a lot of international organizations,” Miller said. “But what we came up with is even better, I think.”

The mix of yellow and white bulbs was selected because they represent joy and eternity, according to Miller. In addition, white is one of the University of Idaho’s primary colors, and yellow is one of the colors of Mount Vernon’s Conway School – where Chapin attended.

The Bellingham Herald reports Chapin’s parents, Jim and Stacy, have volunteered to sell bouquets of Ethan’s Smile tulips during the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival this April. There will also be Ethan’s Smile stickers and apparel available.

Tulip Valley Farms says all the profits of the Ethan’s Smile tulip bulb mix will go to Chapin’s family and to build community gardens in his memory.

Follow @http://twitter.com/KiroLisa