Funeral home turns advertising into public awareness

A funeral home in Colorado Springs is taking a unique approach to advertising, by turning it into public awareness.

Cappadona Funeral Home has billboards around town, touching on topics such as the choking game, texting and driving and domestic violence.

“I’d rather not see someone here because of something that could’ve been prevented,” Paula Cappadona said.

The billboards show photos of people whose funeral services were held at Cappadona Funeral Home, with a short message related to how they died.

There is one with a photo of Luie Fields, with the message, “The choking game is a shortcut to the funeral home.” The teen was found with a belt around his neck in a school bathroom last year. His mom supports the billboards.

“If it could save one mother from going through the pain, and one family from losing their child, then at least that’s one less child,” Kristina Fields said. “If Luie was playing this, then clearly his friends were playing this game. They need to stop, and be aware and know what can happen.”

Katy “Bug” Mushak is featured in another billboard. The teen died in a crash on Garden of the Gods Road last year. Her mom said she stopped and cried the first time she saw it.

“Just another bringing to realization and part of the grieving process, knowing that she was gone, but at the same time, it was so uplifting,” Kristie Wheeler said. “That was just her. That billboard is exactly who she was.”

The billboard reads, “Aspire to be a giver. Give love. Give good vibes. Give hope. Give strength. Give positivity.”

Cappadona worked with Fields, Wheeler, and other parents who lost their teenagers.

“It’s one of the hardest types of funeral services that you can do,” she said. “Just watching those parents, and helping them through the process is almost unbearable.”

She hopes the billboards will help so no more parents have to go through the process.