A group of Vermilion seventh graders came together last weekend to honor their late friend, Ellie Smith, with a heartfelt act of kindness that captured the spirit of the Woollybear Parade. The students organized a coloring contest fundraiser themed around Ellie’s love for art, butterflies, and Harry Potter — all carrying the message “LLES: Live Like Ellie Smith.”
The idea came to life the day after Ellie’s passing, when a few of her friends met with one of the school’s grief counselors to talk about ways to celebrate her memory. “We were thinking about how she loved art and wanted to incorporate that,” said student organizer Camryn Knox. “With Woollybear coming up, it was the perfect opportunity.”
The project was entirely student-led, with support from Mrs. Austin, who serves as a counselor at Vermilion Elementary School and also owns Ed’s Main Street Soda Grill downtown. She offered the students space in front of her restaurant to set up their booth during the parade. The group created and sold coloring pages for donations, each page designed with elements that reminded them of Ellie — red pandas, butterflies, spooky themes, and messages of friendship and light.
From 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, students collected donations from parade visitors, raising $700 in cash and an additional $140 through Venmo. All proceeds will go directly to Ellie’s family to help with funeral expenses.
Participating students included:
Camryn Knox, Maddie Olinick, Izzy Mayer, Riley Krichbaum, Payton Henry, Zoey Mitchell, Sabrina Ramos, Paige Guitar, Lilly Malear, Josie Hayden, Everett Dickinson, Brynn Szklar, Kenzie Fannin, and Maddie Sokolowski.
“Ellie was an amazing friend and the light that everyone needed,” Camryn said. “She always knew how to make you laugh or cheer you up.”
The coloring contest remains open to the community. A $2 donation enters participants for a chance to win one of three prize baskets for different grade levels:
- PreK–3rd grade
- 4th–7th grade
- 8th–12th grade
Entries can be turned in at any school office or at Ed’s Main Street Soda Grill at 5502 Liberty Avenue by October 24, with winners chosen by Mrs. Askins, the seventh-grade art teacher, on October 31.
Venmo Link: https://venmo.com/u/ELLIESFUNDRAISER
Coloring pages
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