IN MEMORY OF...

In 2008 tragedy struck Park City Utah. In this year, 5 students died, one month after the other. This tragedy effected everyone in the community, one way or another. 

After the deaths occurred the parents of the students got together and started a foundation. In memory of their children who died, the parents of the Park City 5 want to provide educational opportunities for other children in need. With that goal in mind, they have planned to build five schools in five areas of the world where they are desperately needed. The Park City 5 Memorial Fund has been established to raise money to build these schools. Since then every memorial day there has been a 5K race where all proceeds go to this foundation. 

This week, although I was unable to attended the 5K race, I did find time to go and visit the cemetery to visit, Matt Knoop, one of the 5 that affected my family the most. 

Our family got to know Matt when he started dating my older sister Tiffany. Matt started acting as an "older brother" to me while in school. (My sister didn't attend the same school as us, so Matt took on the responsibility to look out for me.) 

Matt and I were both on the Park City High School basketball team, where the girls and boys would ride the buses together to save money. Matt always made me feel so cool by letting me sit with him and his "cool" friends on the bus.

After him and my sister broke up, he still made time to look out for me. 

Matt and Tiffany ended up at the same University. I would visit Tiffany almost every weekend and I can remember one time when Tiffany wanted to go get something to eat at the school cafeteria, where I couldn't go because I didn't have a student ID card. Well Matt stayed and hung out with me while Tiffany did that. He was always looking out for me.

On April 21, 2008, while Matt was serving an LDS mission in Brazil, he was walking along the side of the street and hit by a car. He died soon after.

This blog post is not only to remember Matt and the amazing person he was, but everyone else who died that year; Matt, Connie, Mike, Erika and Chris. I know their are many people who were unable to be at the Memorial day 5K for them, but take a few seconds and remember them, pray for their families and make sure that they are NEVER forgotten.