Castillo family and friends celebrate formal name change of Lucent Boulevard in Highlands Ranch to Kendrick Castillo Way
Posted on December 6, 2024 2024News and Events
You may know the name Kendrick Castillo and remember his sacrifice. The high school senior lost his life to save fellow students amid a school shooting on May 7, 2019, in an act of heroism that has shaped our community.
Now, a reminder of the young man – who brimmed with integrity, compassion, courage, and honor – is a permanent fixture in Highlands Ranch with the formal renaming of Lucent Boulevard to Kendrick Castillo Way. John and Maria Castillo led the celebration of their son’s legacy this week surrounded by family, friends, the Board of Douglas County Commissioners, Gov. Jared Polis, Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly and other state and local representatives.
“Kendrick was a vibrant and caring young man. He had friends everywhere and deeply cared about his community and people he never met,” John Castillo said. “It’s about honoring. It’s about remembering. Kendrick loved people so much, in a split second, he did what he had to do to save lives.”
The Kendrick Castillo Memorial Oversight Committee requested this name change, which was approved by Commissioners earlier in 2024.
“It was very important for our community to turn tragedy into triumph and elevate the name of one of our greatest heroes, Kendrick Castillo, as a beacon of courage and heroism to all who come to Douglas County,” said Commissioner Abe Laydon. “Kendrick Castillo Way is more than a street sign; it is a way of life. Running into danger and the unknown to save others, sacrificing your life to save someone else – that’s the highest expression of who we can be as humans and as Coloradans.”
“These signs are a permanent way to memorialize the heroic acts as well as the life of Kendrick Castillo,” said Gov. Jared Polis. “Thank you to everyone who did the hard work to make Kendrick Castillo Way a daily reminder for all who travel this route of Kendrick’s life, his legacy, and his heroism. This is an important step in making sure we can show the respect and gratitude we all hold in our hearts for the acts of Kendrick, and of course, Kendrick as a reflection of the way he was raised by his parents.”
“Kendrick Castillo, with no law enforcement training and no equipment, laid down his own life to save the lives of his classmates,” said Sheriff Darren Weekly. “The grief and mourning of that day has never ended for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, just as it has never ended for the Castillo family or this community.”
As part of the ongoing mission to memorialize Kendrick and the values he lived for, the Kendrick Castillo Memorial Fund and Oversight Committee was formed in 2022. It’s comprised of Kendrick’s family, friends, and representatives of local government and community organizations.
“A group of dedicated leaders from the Douglas County Community Foundation came together to help raise funds for a memorial here in Highlands Ranch. Thanks to the incredible generosity of this community, we have raised approximately $98,000 for the Kendrick Castillo Memorial Fund,” said Andy Jones, Highlands Ranch Metro District Board Member and member of the Kendrick Castillo Memorial Fund and Oversight Committee. “Kendrick’s bravery in the face of unspeakable danger will be etched in our hearts, and for all those who drive down this road, his legacy will live on as a reminder of what true courage looks like.”
The Committee has also organized the naming of a robotics lab, a memorial in Civic Green Park and a scholarship fund in Kendrick’s name. You can contribute to the legacy of Kendrick Castillo in Douglas County by donating through the Douglas County Community Foundation.
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