From her home office in Frisco, Alicia Lopez has been made a business out of turning children into super heroes.
When four Dallas Police officers and one DART officer where shot and killed last Thursday night, Lopez felt a calling.
“I grew up with that constant fear of hugging my father and not knowing if he would come home,” Lopez explained.
Her father is a Dallas police officer.
“Every time he left in his uniform, I felt sadness.”
Lopez’s father was not downtown during the deadly shooting, but five families now know the pain that Lopez worried about as a child.
“Pain for the families,” Lopez said reflectively. “And prayers that they can find peace and hope.”
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Lopez is trying to give the children of DPD officers some peace of mind.
“I knew I wanted to make capes for real heroes,” Lopez explained. “I knew I had to get these capes to the children of these officers so that they could feel that way as well.”
Lopez said she’s seen the power of a cape in many instances, whether it’s a child dealing with an illness, or her own son wearing one for his police officer grandfather.
“It sympolizes heroism,” she explained. “All of the strong, good guys wear these capes.”
She has been collecting donations to make capes for the children of the fallen officers and as many children of DPD officers as she can.
She’s doing it by giving hugs outside local businesses for a $10 donation.
“If we all took a little bit of time to show someone comfort and love, it would be great,” Lopez said.
Since her story aired on NBC 5, someone donated enough money to make 100 more capes. She's up to 225 now and her goal is to make 300.
Click here if you would like to donate to Lopez's GoFundMe page to help pay for more capes.
