Ethan’s Smile

In November of 2022, our dear friend and former team member Ethan Chapin and three other University of Idaho students lost their lives, leaving entire communities devastated and individuals searching for a way to help.

Ethan was a beloved citizen of Conway and Mount Vernon, that like so many other local kids, worked in the fields that make Skagit Valley so spectacular. While working the 2021 Tulip Festival on Andrew’s crew Ethan set the bar for showing up with a smile and making everyone else happy to be on the job, regardless of the weather or the work.

As a strong kid with a big heart, Ethan was the kind of guy who would do the hardest jobs and never complain. Usually, with a smile on his face.

After Ethan’s death, his friends and family reach out to Andrew to see if there was something they could do to memorialize Ethan’s beautiful life.

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

What they came up with is the Ethan’s Smile tulip bulb mix in his honor. This mix of yellow and white tulips has already been planted in several areas around Skagit Valley, meaningful to Ethan and his family, as well as the University of Idaho.

“Tulips are iconic for Skagit Valley and a smile is iconic for Ethan,” Andrew said.