Colorado students value togetherness, hold fundraiser two years after school shooting
Students of East High School in Denver marked the second year since a shooting that injured two people during a walkathon Friday to raise money for the Special Olympics.
The students are part of the East High School Unified Class and Club. The program pairs students with both physical and intellectual disabilities with students from general education programs who volunteer to serve as peer mentors.
Friday was the culmination of their "Unified Week". All week the club held school spirit events and on Friday they had a walkathon and a Special Olympics polar plunge.
The goal was inclusion and fundraising. The students have raised five thousand dollars for their club and Special Olympics.
"We split the money down like 50/50. Half of it goes to, like, Special Olympics and then half of it goes to take us to do stuff," said student Tyjuan McKnight.
Teacher Meghan Ireland said the fundraising is important but what is most important is the impact it has on the students.
"It means the world to them to have all their peers out here with them, cheering them on and knowing that each and every one of them is exactly the same," said Ireland.
Right now that unity is crucial. March 22 marks the second year since a shooting at the school that injured two deans. The student who shot those deans was later found dead in the mountains.
"It was everybody's worst day ever. We lost a student, and we had a bomb threat that happened and stuff. It was the saddest day, but we celebrate and stuff just to be happy to put that behind us," said McKnight.
Students and teachers say this event has been going on for four years now, and each year it only gets more and more popular.
