Winters Raises Money for Funerals after Weekend Accident Kills Two Locals
By: Kristin Anderson
Updated: June 15, 2012
"They're just, they're going to be missed. They were wonderful young men," said Deb Pritchard, teacher at Winters Middle School.
Friends of Juan Ramirez and Tony Espino came together today to help raise money for their funerals with a dinner benefit.
"We just kind of sat down and we knew that the funeral, I mean funerals are expensive. We didn't have any idea of how to raise money, just to raise money for the family so we can have a good funeral. I mean, they deserve the best. And that's what we're going to try to make happen," said Kolton Garcia, friend of both Juan and Tony.
This isn't the only fundraiser either. There have been bake sales and cook outs that have already raised over $4000 in multiple communities.
"They had a huge impact on the community. They were well known and well liked and loved. And the community, everybody's pulled together," said Shannan Fuentes, who was close to the boys. "Even people from Ballinger, you know all of us. And we've had donations from other places too."
But the various fundraisers are not the only way that the community is remembering the two boys.
"And he said, 'can we do something maybe more memorable. And so he came up with an idea of a scholarship," said Pritchard, whose son was the president of the class of 2010, the class Tony and Juan graduated with.
The Class of 2010 Memorial Scholarship will be about more than grades. It will help memorialize what everyone loved about Tony and Juan.
"He said, 'Mom I don't want it to be about GPA, I want it to be for a student who's the most caring, the most respectful, the nicest kid in the class because I think that's a testament to Juan and Tony,'" Pritchard recalled her son saying.
Anyone can donate to the Class of 2010 Memorial Scholarship. An account has been set up at the Security State Bank in Winters, and the number is 255750.
Friends of Juan Ramirez and Tony Espino came together today to help raise money for their funerals with a dinner benefit.
"We just kind of sat down and we knew that the funeral, I mean funerals are expensive. We didn't have any idea of how to raise money, just to raise money for the family so we can have a good funeral. I mean, they deserve the best. And that's what we're going to try to make happen," said Kolton Garcia, friend of both Juan and Tony.
This isn't the only fundraiser either. There have been bake sales and cook outs that have already raised over $4000 in multiple communities.
"They had a huge impact on the community. They were well known and well liked and loved. And the community, everybody's pulled together," said Shannan Fuentes, who was close to the boys. "Even people from Ballinger, you know all of us. And we've had donations from other places too."
But the various fundraisers are not the only way that the community is remembering the two boys.
"And he said, 'can we do something maybe more memorable. And so he came up with an idea of a scholarship," said Pritchard, whose son was the president of the class of 2010, the class Tony and Juan graduated with.
The Class of 2010 Memorial Scholarship will be about more than grades. It will help memorialize what everyone loved about Tony and Juan.
"He said, 'Mom I don't want it to be about GPA, I want it to be for a student who's the most caring, the most respectful, the nicest kid in the class because I think that's a testament to Juan and Tony,'" Pritchard recalled her son saying.
Anyone can donate to the Class of 2010 Memorial Scholarship. An account has been set up at the Security State Bank in Winters, and the number is 255750.
