Sykesville Business Owners Launch Website to Show Support for Sandy Hook Community

The owners of Sykesville-based KneeBouncers.com have created a website for people to send positive thoughts and messages of hope to the families in Newtown, CT, who were affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings.

Owner Punch Robinson said both he and his partner Kurt Dommermuth grew up within 15 miles of Sandy Hook Elementary.

"I know about a dozen parents of kids that either went to the school or were there that day. None, thank god, were harmed," Robinson said.

Sandy Hook Elementary students returned to class yesterday in a different building. Their new school was decorated with snowflakes sent from children around the world. In fact, Robinson said they received so many snowflakes that the PTA had to ask that no more be sent.

Robinson and Dommermuth, web and app developers by trade, decided to create a website where families can send supportive messages to the families of Newtown.

"I had the idea to create the site when I saw that my kids were cutting out snowflakes to send to Newtown," Robinson said in an email to Patch. "I thought it was a wonderful gesture, and that it would be great for families everywhere to not only be able to share their message of peace and love but to be witness to all these beautiful sentiments."

So Robinson and Dommermuth created SnowflakesForNewtown.com over the Christmas holiday. Site visitors can choose a snowflake and then leave a message. Reading the messages people have left is as easy as clicking on a snowflake on the homepage.

Robinson and Dommermuth own Punch Communications in Sykesville, which specializes in advertising, design, app development and web business. Punch said he and Dommermuth, both dads, launched KneeBounchers.com in 2003 to fill a need for online interactive educational activities and games for babies, toddlers and preschool kids.