INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (KCRG/Gray News) – The stands at an eastern Iowa high school basketball game were filled with purple shirts and ribbons in memory of the school’s cheerleader who lost her life in a crash.
Purple was Kelli Schmitz’s favorite color. The 14-year-old from Jesup died in a crash Tuesday morning while she was heading to school.
On Wednesday, the Don Bosco boys’ basketball team asked fans to wear purple to honor Kelli as the team faced Maquoketa Valley in a postseason matchup.
The event became much more than a basketball game.
Kelli’s cheerleader uniform sat on an empty chair. She was the school’s only cheerleader as she helped root on the basketball teams and her older brother, a senior on the boys’ team.
Basketball coach Zack Goodwin said her voice could always be heard on the court, cheering for the teams.
“You could hear her over everyone in a crowded gym. She was unbelievable. She was the soul of who we are,” he said.
The town of Gilbertville is rallying around Kelli’s family. Workers at the local Casey’s General Store handed out purple ribbons in honor of the teen.
“We try to support the community throughout the year in different events, and we just wanted to do something for her,” Tammy Christiana, Casey’s General Store manager, said. “It’s just so sad.”
A GoFundMe has been set up for her family that has raised more than $40,000 to help them with funeral costs.
Bosco Catholic School System Principal Shelby Douglas said that Kelli’s legacy will live forever in the hearts of the community.
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