“All 4 Brady” – The Brady Kinder Foundation
Known throughout Jacksonville as an advanced academic school with superior athletic programs, Trinity Christian Academy has endured many wonderful moments, both in the classroom and on the athletic fields. Not every moment is joyful, however, as the Trinity family discovered first-hand this past spring when a young TCA Conqueror, four-year-old Brady Kinder, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on May 10 – Mother’s Day – of 2015.
Brady is the son Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officer Robert Kinder, Jr. and Trinity Christian Academy teacher and former basketball coach Amanda Kinder.
What is the Brady Kinder Foundation?
In Brady’s honor, the Kinders have established the Brady Kinder Foundation to help underprivileged children in the Jacksonville community.
Trudy Callahan, a JSO Lieutenant, set up a GoFundMe.com account to raise money for funeral expenses. Donors gave over $30,000 in just a few days. After paying for the funeral and medical expenses, the Kinders plan to donate the remaining $25,000 to Trinity Baptist Church’s 2015 Generations project, a new program that the pastoral staff has set up to help Trinity minister to more Jacksonville citizens.
The money will help Trinity build an indoor playground for children of both member and visiting families who attend Trinity Baptist Church. It will serve as an opportunity to attract more families and provide ministry and physical activity to the children. Construction is planned to begin by the end of 2015.
What else does the Foundation do?
The Kinders started the foundation in July 2015 to remember Brady, help children, and share the Gospel of Christ with the Jacksonville community. They have already seized the opportunity to help underprivileged children meet basic physical needs such as buying school supplies, new clothes, new shoes, haircuts, summer camp admission, Christmas presents, toys, and more. The Kinders want to make each child feel special and to share the love of Christ with them.
The foundation plans to partner with Florida Baptist Children’s Homes and Seamark Ranch to help meet some of the needs of the children living on their campuses. Both organizations serve children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected.
There are also plans for the future. The Foundation will be used as an outreach, and the Kinders are looking for even more ways to reach out to kids in the community. Robert and Amanda are always accepting and implementing ideas for events, such as the Superhero 5K run, which will occur on May 7, 2016. Participants will dress up as superheroes as they run. Other planned activities include inflatables, a rock wall, face painting, snow cones, a food truck, and live music.
The success of the foundation is highly dependent on its supporters. The Kinders ask anyone who has ideas or wishes to offer support to please contact them through The Brady Kinder Foundation page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bkfoundation.
How have the volleyball and baseball teams honored Brady?
Trinity Christian Academy won two state championships during the 2014-2015 school year. The 3A varsity Conquerors football team repeated as champions in December of 2014, and the 2015 4A varsity baseball team won the first state championship in school history. In addition, the varsity girls’ basketball team won its first district championship, and the volleyball team came very close to accomplishing the same goal.
Even more noteworthy than winning on the fields and courts are the incredible personalities of the Conquerors athletes and coaches.
Brady passed away just as the baseball team began its playoff run. Brady was a mainstay and a favorite among the players and coaches.
Trinity’s first game without Brady felt somber as expected. The team, though, decided to play out the season, and they won the championship in his honor. The players and team parents made a banner with the slogan “All 4 Brady” filling up the space. The number 4 represents Brady’s age. All players and coaches, and many team parents and school personnel, signed the banner.
The banner traveled with the team to Jet Blue Park for the state semifinal and championship games. In addition to displaying the banner, Conquerors head coach Gil Morales added Brady’s name to his lineup card and had the public address announcer read,“#44, Brady Kinder” when announcing the roster during the pre-game. A Trinity player already wore #4.
On September 10, head volleyball coach Crystal Lawrence and her team hosted an after-school festival with kids’ activities and invited the student body and neighboring patrons to participate. The team also accepted donated items to sell via silent auction during the varsity match that night. The team wore special gold jerseys with a replica Superman logo on the front that donned a B (for Brady) rather than the traditional Superman S. The team donated all proceeds from the day’s activities – over $3,100 – to the foundation.
Officer Robert Kinder, Brady’s father, spoke of the foundation before the volleyball game, describing its purpose and giving all in attendance an opportunity to make donations.
Coach Lawrence stated that the baseball and volleyball programs will each host an annual “Superhero” game, beginning with this past September 10 game. Proceeds from each game will go to the Brady Kinder Foundation – All 4 Brady.
