JUPITER, Fla. — This Memorial Day, you won't find a cookout or party at Kathi Bischoff’s home in Jupiter Heights.
“One of my pet peeves is when I hear people say happy Memorial Day because it’s not a happy day for us,” Bischoff told WPTV Anchor and Navy veteran Mike Trim. “I just want people to stop and reflect, even for a few minutes, and be thankful for the sacrifices that were made so they can do that.”
WATCH: WPTV Anchor and Navy veteran Mike Trim speaks with Gold Star mother Kathi Bischoff
Bischoff spends Memorial Day and many other days remembering her son, Samuel Griffith.
Major Griffith died while serving with the Marines in Afghanistan in 2011.
“He was very special in so many ways," Bischoff said. "He loved to laugh, had a great sense of humor."
Bischoff is a Gold Star mother. The term, by definition, is a mother who has lost a family member serving in the U.S. military.
“When I introduce myself, I’m a Gold Star Mother, 'Oh, wow, that’s really nice,'" Bischoff said. "Then I go further into why I’m a Gold Star Mother, and then there’s this realization. So there’s still a lot of education to go on."
Bischoff has turned her pain into purpose.
In 2014, Bischoff connected with the Renewal Coalition, which is now named Warriors Renewal Coalition.
Bischoff coordinated a golf tournament in the name of her fallen son and donated proceeds to the Coalition and has helped the non-profit ever since.
The non-profit brings combat-injured veterans and their families to Jupiter for rest and relaxation.
“For so long after Sam was killed, I felt so lost and I wanted to find a mission to make a difference in someone’s life and honor him,” Bischoff said.
Bischoff is now the president of Warriors Renewal Coalition.
“I see in so many of their faces, my son," Bischoff said. "So many of them come back with not only external injuries but internal injuries that you can’t see. By the time they leave, they’ve formed lifelong friendships."
The Major Samuel “SWACQ” Memorial Golf Tournament is scheduled for June 14 at Abacoa Golf Club in Jupiter.
If you’d like to learn more about Warriors Renewal Coalition, click here.
