WATERVILLE, Maine — Cassidy Charette leaves a void in her community.
Friends say she was one of those people who drew you in with her big smile.
She was top of her class at Messalonskee High School and just about to become a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters at the time of the crash.
Cassidy Charette, 17, of Oakland died and 22 others were injured Oct. 11, 2014, when a Jeep pulling a hay wagon went out of control and sent the wagon carrying passengers careening down a hill, according to a previously published report.
Her family and her friends are keeping her spirit alive with three words: “Shine on, Cass.”
“Cassidy was like a light to everyone,” her brother Colby Charette said. “So, ‘Shine on, Cass’ is like bringing that part of Cass to the community or to your home or to your friends.”
The community put on events over the weekend to honor Charette.
The community planned to build Cassidy’s Kitchen over Columbus Day weekend at Hart-to-Hart Farm in Albion.
One of Cassidy’s favorite sayings was “Life is short. Eat dessert first.”
The Dairy Queen on Kennedy Memorial Drive in Waterville planned to bring together classmates, teammates, surrounding schools and the community to remember Cassidy with an “Eat Dessert First” event from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
For every purchase of food and ice cream made at Dairy Queen on Kennedy Memorial Drive between 5 and 7:30 pm, Dairy Queen will donate 15 percent of sales to the Cassidy Jean Charette Scholarship Fund at Messalonskee High School.