Benefits staged throughout area for families affected byu fatal crash
The death of a Conotton Valley High School student and the injury of another in a car crash Wednesday has prompted an outpouring of support from their community and others in the area.
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Many groups, including some that competed against the Rockets in athletics, have held fund raisers to benefit the families of Braylen M. Novak, who died in the accident, and his passenger Garson Imes, who was critically injured. The crash occurred on at Cumberland and Caddy roads SW in Carroll County’s Orange Township. Novak and Imes were on the way to their high school to lift weights.
“This sad event has certainly brought our small communities together with the greatest compassion for all involved.” said Scio’s Dee Ann Horstman, a former Sherrodsville teacher.
Two of her Facebook pages, Bowerston Ohio Friends, and Scio — it rhymes with Ohio, list many of the efforts, including:
• Harrison Central High School Huskies cheerleaders collected over $1,400 for the families of Novak, 18, of Tippencanoe, and Imes, 17, of Sherrodsville, at Saturday’s boys basketball game.
• Newcomerstown Exempted Village Schools students and staff donated more than $1,000 in a fundraiser that involved wearing green, the dominant color on Rockets’ uniforms.
• Buffalo Wild Wings in New Philadelphia donated 10 percent of the $20,000 in food sales made on Saturday. Another $4,000 was collected in a donation box at the restaurant.
Other businesses have stepped up, too. Dave’s Diner in Sherrodsville sold sugar cookies over the weekend, with all proceeds going to the Imes and Novak families.
The Conotton Valley Union Local School District invited students and staff to wear Conotton Valley gear for the Rally for the Valley on Tuesday and donate $2 to the Braylen Novak Memorial Fund and the Garson Imes Medical Fund.
Tuscarawas Valley Schools Superintendent Mark Murphy invited students and staff in that district to wear the green, yellow or white of the Rockets on Tuesday to show support for those suffering in Conotton Valley. They were invited to bring to school $2 to be divided and directed to the same two funds at Unified Bank.
“Each building will take a group photo and video messages to share with our Conotton Valley friends,” Murphy wrote on the Tusky Valley Trojans Facebook page.
Other efforts in support of the two affected families were announced on twitter, including:
• Dover High School, Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School and Fairless High School students dressed in Conotton Valley colors.
• Strasburg-Franklin Local Schools raised $1,200 for the Novak and Imes funds.
• The Barnesville High School student cheering section raised $800.
• The Ridgewood Athletic Department raised $1,700 for the families.
The Conotton Valley elementary staff is selling Rocket Strong T-shirts to support the Novak and Imes families. The sale will run for about two weeks.
A fundraiser will be held from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday at Texas Roadhouse in New Philadelphia, which will donate 10 percent of all proceeds from on-site and takeout food orders. The restaurant is at 120 Bluebell Drive NW.
Kent State University at Tuscarawas is invited the campus community to wear green and yellow to show support for the Conotton Valley community this week. Donations for both families will be accepted in the dean’s office. Novak was a student at the campus in addition to his enrollment at Conotton Valley.
Donations to the Garson Imes Medical Fund and the Braylen Novak Memorial Fund may be made at any Unified Bank location.
Memorial contributions may be made to Conotton Valley Booster Club, P.O. Box 169, Sherrodsville, OH 44675 and Conotton Valley Alumni Association, P.O. Box 187, Sherrodsville, OH 44675.
Read More: Benefits staged throughout area for families affected byu fatal crash