#LoveForPaula: Classmates of mother killed in highway crash raise money for daughter

Classmates from Clarenville High have come together 17 years after graduation to help a friend's young daughter.

Paula Ryanwas killed onAug. 27, along with her husband Mike andsonMikey.The surviving member of thefamily is13-year-oldRachaelRyan.

"Paula is someone that we all remember, you know. Her face, her smile is imprinted in us all," classmate and fundraiser organzier Tiah Pelleysaid.

"You can still hear her distinct laugh in the back of our minds and it just really hit home and shook us all and we knew it was something we all had to do."

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The groupstarted aGoFundMeaccount on Aug. 30to create a trust fund for Ryan's daughter. Pelley said they didn't even know what goal to set,but by Sept. 1 thetarget of $20,000 was already surpassed.

"So now we're just hoping to keep spreading the word and see how much we can get for this little girl as a little nest egg in [the] face of such a horrible tragedy," Pelleysaid.

The money raisedwill be "held in trust untilRachaelreaches the age of maturity, and given to her as a gift from her mom's graduating class," the fund's webpage said.

Zonya Vivian Reid, Ryan'sfirst cousin who was also in the same class, said she wasn't at all surprised by the support of her peers.

"We had an amazing, amazing group going up through high school," she said.

"I can't even describe how it makes me feel [to be with the class again]. I just have no words. It's amazing It's heartbreaking to have to go through this, but we have so, so much support, and that's what's helping."

Vibrant personality, beautiful person

Both Pelleyand Reid describe Ryan as the kind of person to touch people, and leave a lasting impression.

"She [had] a vibrant personality, a very big personality. If you were in her company she made it known. She was a real firecracker," Pelley said.

"I have good memories of her and think she was an awesome person and definitely an amazing mother."

Growing up in the same family, Reid and Ryan didn't always see eye-to-eye, she said, but they loved each other.

"Paula was a beautiful person," Reidsaid.

"She had an impact on everybody that she met, by her smile, her laugh and just the person that she was. She'll never be forgotten."

Pelley said the group is holding Rachael Ryan in their hearts, and hopes the trust fund will help get her through such anunimaginably difficult time.

"Rachel is going to do wonderful in life. She has so much support. She is going to carry on like her mother would want her to do," Reid said.

"She's going to be a strong little girl and she's going to grow into a beautiful, beautiful adult just like her mom."