SAN ANTONIO — A major contribution is headed to a local foundation named in memory of a San Antonio teenager, 19-year-old Erin Rios Castro who was murdered by her boyfriend in 2018. Erin's boyfriend was sentenced this year to 35 years in prison.
Her mother was on the phone during the incident.
"I thought that this would happen to somebody that was maybe meek or didn't speak up for themselves, but Erin was the complete opposite," said Castro. "It just goes to show it can happen to anybody."
Following her daughter's death, Castro created the Erin Rios Castro Foundation to bring awareness to dating violence among teens.
KENS 5 learned more about the impact of a very generous donation.
RJ De La Garza with Birds' Landing Tailgate says the UTSA alumni group collected donations at all home games this year.
Before the UTSA game Friday, De La Garza says the group will present a $3,000 check to the Erin Rios Castro Foundation in memory of his cousin.
"We never thought it was going to be something that big," said De La Garza. "Hopefully maybe start a tradition where we're almost able to cover a full tuition for one year for a student. We have some work to do, but I think we're on our way for sure."
"I'm overwhelmed with gratitude," said Rena Castro. "For them to think of keeping our Erin's life and legacy alive means so much to me."
Through the foundation, Castro says calls for help are coming from younger generations.
"It's varied between high school and as young as even middle school," said Castro. "I think we've opened up a lot of conversations between parents and children, between people in general."
According to the Texas Council on Family Violence, 228 Texans were killed by intimate partners in 2020. That's a 23% increase since 2019. Research found 45% of women who were killed made attempts to seek help or end the relationship.
"When a teen tells you they're going through something, it's important to validate their feelings and listen without judgement," said Castro. "Any girl that I meet or hear about that's in trouble, I feel like they're my Erin."
Along with handing out resources to students, Castro is giving scholarships in her daughter's name.
"I know when you're going through something like this in your high school years, your grades will slip. You can be very intelligent just like Erin was and your grades will slip because it's so hard to deal with," she explained. "I wanna give out as many scholarships as I can."
To learn more about the Erin Rios Castro Foundation and how you can get help, visit this website. You can also contact the organization on Facebook and Instagram.
In February, which marks Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, Castro says she plans to visit as many schools as possible to speak to students about red flags in relationships. The organization is also planning to host a 5K that month.
Friday's donation to the Erin Rios Castro Foundation is also timely. It comes just one day after Castro's birthday.