Our Story

Where the tracks end, our love begins

This isn’t just a foundation. This is a heartbeat that started with loss – and refuses to let that be the end of the story.

The Cody Ron Foundation was born from the grief of a daughter, and the memory of a father, and the legacy of a family built by the railroad. My name is Kaylene, this foundation carries the names – and hearts – of two men shaped my life: My Dad, Cody Ron Blaquiere, and My Grandfather, Ronald Joseph Blaquiere.

My Dad, Cody Ron – Cody was a railroader through and through. He worked for BNSF Just like his dad before him. He was the kind of dad who worked long hours, came home tired, but never too tired to make us feel loved. He gave everything to the job – and even more to his kids. But when he died suddenly in 2014 from complications from open heart surgery, we were thrown into a storm we weren’t ready for.

Falling Through the Cracks – We tried to find support. Tried to access scholarships. Grants. Foundations meant for families like ours. But we kept hearing the same thing: “You don’t qualify.” – “Your guardianship changed.” – “Your mom re-married.” – “You’re not eligible.” — It didn’t matter that we had lost our dad. It didn’t matter that he worked for the rail-road. To them, we didn’t check the right boxes. That broke something deeper than just our hearts – It broke our trust in the systems that were supposed to help.

So We Built Something Better – Its for the kids who still wears their dad’s BNFS jacket – Congratulating on their 5 years, accident free. – For the siblings split up the day of the funeral. – For the families who still live by the tracks – but feel like they’ve been left behind. – It’s for the ones that are grieving without recognition. For those navigating grief with no guidebook, no aid, and no soft place to land.

We crated The Cody Ron Foundation to say: “You still matter. You’re still seen. You’re not alone.”

A Legacy That Runs Deep – This is also for my papa – Ronald Blaquiere, my dads dad. He worked the rails for 41 years. He started as a Milwaukee Road Apprentice in 1967. Retired from Burlington Northern. He built our family’s cabin in the Little Belt Mountains – Where both he and my dad now rest together. – That place, those memories, and the strength of these men are in every program we offer. Every Rail-Road Roots Basket. Every survivor’s celebration. Every sibling we help reconnect.

What We Carry Forward – We Carry Forward more than grief. We carry grit, joy, stories, and spirit. We’re creating the very last thing we never got:

This is More Than a Story. It’s a Promise. – We’re here for every child of the rail-road. We see you. We remember them. And we’re building tracks of love that never run out.