When tragedy struck Chardon High, former students stepped up to help.
“I’m going to try to get donations for an event that we’re having on the 10th of March,” said Romona Lilley, of the Chardon Angels of Hope. “That’s going to be a Chinese auction. A lot of fun.”
The new foundation is raising funds for medical and funeral expenses for the victims’ families.
“It’s been really overwhelming,” Lilley said. “The response that we’ve gotten, the donations and the materials that we need to get up and running. I would just ask people to give, give until your heart hurts.”
The foundation is working with Chardon alumni and the current senior class.
With the help of Etched in Time, the students are selling car decals, T-shirts and yard signs. The business has sold more than 2,500 heart-shaped decals since Monday, raising more than $16,000.
“It’s just a hole-in-the-wall business,” said Monica Shorter, whose family owns the custom-engraving business. “It’s just been crazy, non-stop, phones ringing constantly, people in and out, just asking for car decals, what we can do to help.”
Shorter, a 2007 grad of Chardon High, said the community had experienced a similar loss a few years ago, when a student died in a car accident. She wasn’t surprised to see the overwhelming response.
“It’s great to see that everyone’s coming together,” she said. “Sad reason, but it’s good to see everyone coming together.”