DRUMRIGHT, Okla. — The community of Drumright is mourning after the loss of two 15-year-old girls who died in an ATV crash.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol says it happened Saturday evening, northeast of Drumright city limits.
The community's heads are spinning as they try to wrap their minds around a tragedy that does not seem real involving two best friends. Fifteen-year-old Drumright High students Raeleigh Dennis and Heather Johnson were energetic and excited about their bright futures.
Shelly Weaver saw it firsthand, checking them in for EPOS- Sports Experience camp last summer.
"These girls were so excited. They were excited for the adventure. They were excited for what was coming," Weaver said.
EPOS- Sports Experience is a local non-profit with organized sports and life skills training camps.
Weaver says Raeleigh went to the camp for two years for softball and talked Heather into it this year for cheerleading. Both were also on this year's Drumright softball team.
It's Weaver's organization that's been entrusted to collect money to be divided equally among the families for funeral expenses. Any donations left over will be used to set up a memorial scholarship fund in each girl's name.
Donations can be made on eposathletes.org until October 31.
According to the latest census, Drumright has just over 2,500 people. Anytime there's a tragedy - which is rare - it's understandably going to hit the community hard. But people like Weaver say that when they do happen, they come back even stronger.
Raeleigh and Heather were strong as nails and role models to those who might not have been, Weaver said.
"Not only were they energized together, but then you see them empowering and encouraging others that may have had a difficult day or was trying to overcome something, and those girls were there to lift up," Weaver said.
There will be a public candlelight on Tuesday at 8 p.m. at the Drumright High School softball field to remember the girls.
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