UNION, Ky. — You didn’t have to look far Friday night on the sidelines of Ryle High School’s football field to see something was missing.
Ava Markus, a junior cheerleader, was seriously injured in a car crash in Cold Spring on Sunday. She remains in the hospital.
“Big part of the team. Friends with everyone on the team. She’s the friend that brings all the circles together. She’s the glue of the team,” Jacob Lawrence, Campbell County High School cheerleading coach, said.
You also didn’t have to look very far to see how so many chose to honor Ava. Many football student-athletes for Campbell County wore pink. The Ryle High School cheerleaders, Campbell County’s opponent on Friday, wore pink ribbons to show support.
Friday, her usual spot in the second row was filled by a pink pom pom.
Pink is Ava’s favorite color.
“It’s meaningful. She stands right next to me. It’s nice that we’re doing that. I like the idea of keeping her spot open the rest of the season. It’ll feel like someone is still there,” Bailie Bramel, a junior at Campbell County High School, said.
Other cheerleaders like juniors Lucy Roll and Skylar Steffen said they felt like there was less energy on the sidelines without Ava there.
“It’s hard. She’s not there. But we’re going to do it for her. Since she’s not able to do it with us,” Roll said.
But her cheer teammates got energy from an unexpected place: social media.
A hashtag, #All4AvaGrace, has made its rounds on Facebook and Twitter. It shows family, friends, teammates, and cheer squads from across the country wanting to show support. Many, posting pictures decked out in Ava’s favorite color.
“I think it’s crazy how fast it got around. Everyone at our school already loved Ava. Now everyone else loves her too,” Steffen said.
“Community has been great. Everyone on Facebook was wearing pink. Different school districts, different cheer teams. Even had a cheer team down in Florida wear pink at their practice today in honor of Ava,” Lawrence said.
Ava’s friends, and coach, said they’re focused on her recovery. They’ll be following every step. Cheering her along the way.
“She has an army behind her. We’re all waiting for her here,” Roll said.
“We love you. We miss you. We can’t wait to see you again. We’re here for you,” Lawrence said.
The family has setup a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses.
Watch Live:
