OTTERVILLE — The community of Otterville is coming together to raise funds to donate to the families of four teenagers who were in a car wreck on Oct. 31.
Bryce Lappatt, Alana Fletcher, Megan Bremer, and Samantha White were involved in a severe car wreck on Oct. 31 that landed them in University Hospital in Columbia in serious condition.
Otterville FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) Adviser Cindy Birdwell said Athletic Director Jay Allen came to school the week after the accident and told the faculty he planned to host a goodwill offering for the affected families at the upcoming jamboree. Otterville is hosting a basketball jamboree with Cole, Russellville, and Slater Monday, Nov. 15 and Tuesday, Nov. 16.
“We’ll have that goodwill offering to give to the families and I said, ‘well they’re all four FBLA members, three are active, one is alumni,’” Birdwell said. “I said, ‘our chapter, we’ll put together two meals and that will make a nice benefit package.’”
Birdwell said it has just grown from there with the love and support from the Otterville community.
“I put out a list on Facebook of items that we would need to make this meal 100% donationable to the families to be split evenly — all of the items have been donated,” Birdwell said.
Birdwell added that they are hoping to feed 700 people on Monday with a baked potato bar and 500 people Tuesday with a spaghetti dinner.
“This is going to be the chapter’s community service project and we’ll write a report for it for (FBLA) contest and the three boys that are heading this would Hayden Morrison, Noah Saltsgaver, Brandon Sewell,” Birdwell said. “They are the three backbones for this community service project and are overseeing most of it.”
Otterville FBLA has received cash donations to help with purchasing additional food items and Smithton FBLA will assist with the dinner.
“Today, I went around and told my students that I need people to work the meal and went around explained to the students at school and the classes that we are a community and we are pulling together and if it was their family member that was involved in the accident wouldn’t they want somebody to put this together for them,” Birdwell added.
Birdwell said the outreach from the community for the families, students, and FBLA members has been astronomical.
“I never expected anything any less but to see it in person makes you so proud to be a part, not only at the school and of the kids within my organization but of the community that I have been a part of for 22 years teaching in Otterville,” Birdwell said.
FBLA member Steven Woolery and his parents put together bracelets that say Otterville Strong. A Facebook page, Otterville Strong, was created to provide updates on the four kids. Community members and school faculty and staff are hosting a bake sale. Two silent auctions will be hosted to raise additional funds.
Along with those efforts, someone will pop kettle corn at the jamboree games and the sophomore class will be working the concession stands those evenings. There is also a GoFundMe named #OttervilleStrong made by Woolery, and there is a bank account at the Otterville Community Bank where people send donations.
According to Birdwell, after the accident, Otterville School had counselors from other schools assist with its faculty and she gathered the senior class to talk about the accident and what the students’ conditions were.
Birdwell added that everything has been very positive.
“The kids have been strong and held together, both young ladies are cheerleaders and FBLA members and both attending CTC, the young man is a basketball player and FBLA and attended Smith-Cotton at one time,” Birdwell said.
They have had a lot of outreach from outside the Otterville community, too.
Former Otterville Superintendent Matt Unger, who is now the Stover superintendent, set up a $1 hat day fundraiser at his school. Birdwell has also heard of other possible fundraisers for the families.
“People are just coming out everywhere to assist. It’s a very big family in Otterville and this has hit our community very hard,” Birdwell said.
Birdwell said all donations received so far and all meal proceeds will be split evenly between all four families to go toward any expenses incurred.
Fletcher and White have come home but Lappatt and Bremer are still at the hospital recovering from injuries.
“This is going to be a long road. The kids are going to take a while to heal and so this isn’t going to be we’re done in 30 days. We’ll be back up and running a marathon,” Birdwell said. “Of course, I’m not a doctor but what we had reported to us, I think it is going to be a little bit of a healing process.”
For more information, contact Birdwell at 660-233-3374 or at cbirdwell@ottervillervi.k12.mo.us.
