Woodbridge school raises $1,198 in memory of fallen student

A Woodbridge school has taken a sad situation and turned it into a time of giving and kindness.

According to a release, the St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School in Woodbridge has been mourning the loss of a former Aquinas student – Colby Thomas Smith – after he passed away in a dirt bike accident.

Smith’s parents, Keri Farley and Zach Smith, came together and created a charity titled Colby’s Ride, in Smith’s honor, according to a release. The charity will provide helmets and bicycles to area children in need.

In order to support the Smith family’s efforts the school decided to host a penny competition for the charity that was able to raise $1,198 in only four days, according to a release.

More from a release:

A penny competition is traditionally held between the boys and girls at Aquinas, with the intent of providing an accessible way for our students to participate by contributing their own pocket money. Large water bottles are marked separately as “boys” and “girls” for this competition. Each team places pennies in their own bottle to count positively towards a final total, and students can place silver coins and paper bills in the opposing team’s bottle to count negatively against that team. This year, the girls won bragging rights in winning the Penny Competition but helping the less fortunate in our neighborhood is an important act of mercy for all of our students. Our Penny Competition raised a total of $1,198.37 for Colby’s Ride in just four days!

“Our school community was deeply affected by Colby’s death and he was fondly remembered by all. It was an important part of the healing process for our students to be able to participate in this fundraiser to honor Colby’s memory and to extend our love and support to his parents,” said Sister Kateri Rose Masters, O.P., Principal at St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School.

St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School presented the Penny Competition funds to Colby’s mother for Colby’s Ride, on Tuesday, November 24, 2015, at 2 p.m., in the school Hall. Students in our fifth grade classes who were his classmates (until this year when he transferred to a public school) participated in this event. Fifth grade student, Kayley Benway, made posters to help raise support for Colby’s Ride. She and another fifth grade student received a Colby’s Ride t-shirt from Ms. Farley. We are pleased to support Colby’s Ride with the student-driven fundraising initiative of the Penny Competition. Prayer, acts of mercy and community service are intrinsic to student life at St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School!