GRANDVIEW -- The Grandview Girls Basketball Booster Club will host a fundraiser for the three families whose sons were involved in Tuesday's deadly car crash.
The booster club will donate all money raised during a halftime 3-point shooting contest and pass buckets around the gymnasium during Friday's CWAC game against East Valley High of Moxee. The game starts at 5:45 p.m. at Grandview High.
"I have a daughter who is a junior and I saw how upset she was," said Ray Shafer, booster club treasurer. "I kind of sat back and thought what if it was me? Nobody is really ready for anything like this to happen.
"We are going to pack that gym like it's never been packed before and hopefully make this a pretty successful fundraiser for them."
Carlos Ochoa and Kevin Lopez-Gonzales, both 16, were killed when the car they were riding in Tuesday north of Grandview failed to negotiate a corner and flipped off the road. The driver, 17-year-old Jovannie Razo, is in critical condition at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland.
"Those kids in that school, they care for each other," Shafer said. "We always hear a lot of negativity in these small towns, but we have a great community and we will come together to help people who live in our community."
Anyone can contribute, whether they are connected to Grandview or not. Shafer asks interested donors to contact him at his email address, shafer4@gmail.com, to arrange payment. Checks should be made payable to Grandview Girls Basketball Booster Club.
"I was thinking earlier, 'We're not only helping the families, but the kids and everyone involved too,' " Shafer said. "I'm helping the kids at school too. A lot of them are excited to help the families -- it takes their minds off being sad."
-- Craig Craker: 582-1509; ccraker@tricityherald.com
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