After the Labor Day car crash that killed two Palmer Ridge High School students and seriously injured a third, three people rolled up their sleeves and tried to make something positive after the tragedy that gripped Monument.

Their efforts were simple and straight forward: set up online fundraisers for the families of the teens who died and create a bumper sticker designed to unite a school.

The day following the wreck, the hashtag #MonumentStrong began circulating on Twitter, created by a Palmer Ridge graduate to memorialize Beau Begier, 17, and Ryan Pappas, 18.

Connor Sperry, who wrestled with Begier and played soccer with Pappas, saw the opportunity to use the hashtag to bring comfort to the high school’s senior class. He did not foresee, he said, that the bumper sticker would end up on hundreds of vehicles in Monument.

“It’s really cool to see so many cars around town with the bumper sticker. I ordered 250 of them to begin with and I’ll probably have to order more,” said Sperry, who paid for the stickers out of his pocket. “It was just a simple thing I did because the whole senior class is experiencing this loss together, and so is the whole community.”

Sperry said Palmer Ridge students, graduates, teachers and staff wanted the stickers. Soon people throughout Monument asked for their own stickers, too. He wasn’t looking for recognition when he designed and ordered the stickers, he said, but has been blown away by the reaction.

“It’s been so touching because people have been so supportive and appreciative,” Sperry said.

Two online fundraisers set up by friends of the Begier and Pappas families surpassed their goals within days of accepting donations, one of them by more than $10,000.

After working with Begier’s father and being friends with the family for several years, Kim McClelland was heartbroken when she found out about the fatal crash. She discovered that the Begiers had many relatives who wanted to travel to Colorado to offer their support but did not have the means to make the journey. McClelland set up a fund at www.giveforward.com, hoping to raise $5,000 to pay for travel and lodging for the Begiers’ relatives. Donations eclipsed $10,000 a week after the crash and surpassed $15,000 the following week.

“It was absolutely overwhelming and so humbling to see how everyone donated and showed their support,” McClelland said. “When we gave the money to the Begiers and they knew they would be able to bring their family here, which is what they needed for comfort and strength, it was amazing. It was such a blessing to be part of that.”

Kristina Kazlausky met the Pappas family about four years ago and became friends with them. Wanting to help, she started a fundraiser on the same website as the Begiers’ and donations began adding up quickly. It has raised more than $6,000.

“We are all part of this community and we are all struggling to understand why something so tragic happened,” Kazlausky said.

To donate to the Beau Begier or Ryan Pappas funds, visit www.giveforward.com/.

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Contact Andrea Sinclair: 636-0235