A candlelight vigil was held Tuesday night to remember one new Chardon High School graduate who lost his life, and to support another still fighting for his.
Dominic Ricci, 18, was a fun-loving athlete known for playful shenanigans who surprised classmates, they said, when he joined the choir his senior year.
Jackson Condon, 17, loves sports and King Kone ice cream. But most of all supporting his classmates with the morning announcements and as leader of the Chardon Crazies cheering section.
Both students, who graduated this May, were together and involved in a car crash Tuesday afternoon at Hosford Road and Route 44 in Chardon Township. Dom was pronounced dead shortly after the crash. Jackson remained at University Hospitals in Cleveland with life-threatening injuries.
More than 500 students, parents, teachers and community members gathered before 10 p.m. on Chardon Square. Students traded turns taking to the white bandstand and telling stories, reading text messages. Most of the stories were fond memories about the students’ ability to get a laugh.
“Close your eyes and picture Jackson,” said a girl who had become Jackson’s friend his senior year. “I guarantee you he’s smiling.”
Dom was headed to Cuyahoga Community College in the fall, and liked to use “bro” for emphasis, one classmate said. Another remembered how much care he took with his hair.
But there were serious moments, too, as students stood shielding their candles from a cool night breeze.
One woman took to the center and told students that despite rumors, Jackson was still fighting for his life. “You guys can change this,” she said before starting a prayer.
Another woman held up a cell phone with Jackson’s mother on speaker phone. Yells went out from the crowd, encouraging Jackson and his family to stay strong.
Another woman pleaded with students not be annoyed by their parents when they talk about staying safe while driving. “Please listen to your parents,” she said. “You all just got your licenses.”
The day’s support first began on social media, where both Jackson and Dom were active and looking forward to their summer with friends, posting pictures of high school memories.
“Enjoy and cherish every moment you have in life because time really does fly by,” Jackson tweeted on May 19, one week before graduation.