Remembering Chelsea King

Roughly 5,000 people are expected to attend Chelsea King's memorial Saturday afternoon at Poway High. The majority of the seats will be filled by family, volunteers, faculty and students who will honor their former classmate and friend.

At one point, Chelsea's parents were concerned there wouldn't be enough space to accommodate all attendees at the high school's stadium so they passed out orange colored passes.

Only those with a pass are guaranteed entrance.

A day before the memorial a group of Poway High parents set up a table at the school and began handing out the passes to whoever requested one. Orange rubber bracelets with the phrase "Chelsea's Light" etched into them, were also given out.

"People that live in the Poway area, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Peñasquitos, have come over and gotten tickets," said Poway High School parent, Dawn Christiansen.

Students have wrapped ribbons around 8,000 sunflowers to hand out at the memorial service.

"A lot of people are getting ready to bring closure to it," said Evan Shirley, 17, a friend of Chelsea's. "I hope to see everyone come out to support the family and honor their friend in whatever way they see fit."

The outpouring of support keeps on growing in Poway. The area surrounding Chelsea's former high school is practically covered with large pictures of the teen. Below the images are dozens of flowers, candles and notes.

"There are going to be some tears and it's going to be a little sad," said Christiansen. "But it's also going to be about all the wonderful things that she's done, in a very short time.

Students at Poway High are also remembering Chelsea in the latest issue of the school newspaper The Iliad. Several articles about the young teen were published in the paper along with a series of pictures. Friends say it's yet another way to remember her smile.

"They've written about her and inside they've got other photos of her, it's just amazing," said volunteer Linda Farmer. "A whole spread here in the middle."

Chelsea's family is asking attendees to not bring flowers to the memorial, which will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

"In lieu of flowers, we are asking you to tie a blue ribbon around a tree in your community to represent your love for Chelsea or to make a donation to Chelsea's light and help her change the world," the family said.

The family has received so many requests of people wanting to donate that they have established the Chelsea 's Light Fund. Donations to the Chelsea's Light Fund will be accepted at every Wells Fargo Bank across the United States (account #1838355913).

The service Saturday comes 11 days after Chelsea's body was discovered in a shallow, lakeside grave near Lake Hodges, ending a massive five-day search.

Chelsea was a straight-A student ran on the cross-country team, played French horn in the San Diego Youth Symphony and was active in her school's peer counseling program. She was a tireless volunteer in school and community activities, whether working at a prom for special education students or packaging food for needy families in Africa.

She had applied to 11 colleges and aspired to a career that would combine her interests in writing and the environment.

Chelsea was last seen Feb. 25 wearing running clothes in Rancho Bernardo Park in San Diego, where her car was found locked with her belongings inside.

John Gardner, 30, was arrested three days later and pleaded not guilty to the murder and to the attempted rape of another woman in December. He also is a suspect but has not been charged in the killing of 14-year-old Amber Dubois, who disappeared as she walked to school in nearby Escondido in early 2009.

Gardner served five years of a six-year sentence for molesting a 13-year-old neighbor in 2000 to molesting a 13-year-old neighbor. He was on parole for three years, until September 2008.

On Friday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered a review of the way the state handled the 2000 case.

Leave Comments