A tulip farm in Skagit Valley is honoring the life and memory of former team member Ethan Chapin, one of four University of Idaho students stabbed to death in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13.
Tulip Valley Farms created a special tulip bulb mix called Ethan’s Smile that will be available for purchase and viewing when the annual blooming begins in April. “This a symbol that is bringing some light and joy in an otherwise very difficult time,” said Tulip Valley Farms CEO Andrew Miller in an interview with the Bellingham Herald.
Miller described Chapin as a team player and someone who never complained because he was “too busy smiling” when he worked on the farm. “He was easy like a Sunday morning – always gliding around,” Miller said. “Ethan’s smile was one of the things that was iconic about him.”
Reese Gardner, a former co-worker of Chapin at the tulip farm, came up with the idea to honor Chapin through tulips. The tulip bulb mix is yellow and white, colors Miller said are important because they represent joy and eternity. They are also two of the primary colors for the University of Idaho and the Conway School in Mount Vernon, where Chapin attended.
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