MCKEESPORT, Pa. — Family and friends of a high school cheerleader who was killed in a crash while riding to school came together to hold a fundraiser in her memory.
PHOTOS: Family, friends of local cheerleader killed in school van crash hold fundraiser in her memory
Samantha Kalkbrenner, 15, was killed after the Serra Catholic High School van she was riding in was involved in a crash in Dravosburg in Sept. Five other students had to be taken to a hospital.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 15-year-old student killed in school van crash in Dravosburg
Sunday, her parents were joined by her cheerleading teammates as they held a fundraiser at Serra Catholic High School.
“She was the light of our team and we just wanted a day for the school to celebrate her,” said cheerleader Paige Rock.
The money from the fundraiser will go towards new uniforms for the Serra Catholic High School cheerleading team. Any leftover money will go towards a scholarship fund.
Samantha’s father was happy to help raise money for the team.
“It’s been good. It’s been a long ride. We’re grateful for the turnout,” Carl Kalkbrenner said.
Kalkbrenners’s teammates said they hope the event will bring a sense of community to people still struggling with the tragedy.
“You know that you are not alone and you can maybe find people who have been in similar situations,” said cheerleader Alexis Yunk.
Around 700 people visited the fundraiser. It featured a bake sale, a boba bar, raffles and homemade food cooked by Samantha’s mother, “Miss Nenita.”
People at the event wore shirts that had a simple but powerful message written on the back: “Drive safe. Somebody loves you.”
Two men are facing charges in connection to the crash. Police say Andrew Neil Voigt and William R. Soliday were racing and going over 100 m.ph. when the crash happened.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW