Fundraiser set to honor students who died in crash
Money will go toward search and rescue teams and a scholarship
Katie Thorn
Issue date: 2/20/07 Section: News
After the OSU community lost two students, Jeffrey Schmidt and Quinn Truong, in a car accident last fall, multiple efforts were created to raise money in honor of the victims.
On Nov. 19, 2006, Schmidt and Truong's Jeep Wrangler crashed into the North Umpqua River while they were returning home from a trip to Diamond Lake.
A dive team recovered Truong's body on Nov. 21, while the body of her boyfriend, Schmidt, has not been recovered.
Shaena Behbahany, one of Truong's sorority sisters in Delta Gamma, felt it was her responsibility to do whatever she could to help the Douglas and Jackson County rescue teams with their efforts to find Schmidt's body.
Through Behbahany's time and dedication, rubber bracelets, reading "Quinn and Jeff, In Our Hearts Forever," will be sold for $4 through contact with Behbahany.
"Everyone has been willing to help," Behbahany said.
Half of the money from the fundraiser will go toward the search effort, while the rest will be used for a Delta Gamma scholarship in honor of Truong.
"Even though I only knew Quinn for about a month, we were able to do so much together," said Behbahany, who met Truong during Bid Day. "This fundraiser is a way to remember them both and raise money for two very good causes."
In addition to Behbahany, Ashleigh Stroud stepped up to give her a hand with the overall process of starting the fundraiser.
"Quinn and I have been friends since elementary school," Stroud said. "This fundraiser is an answer to my prayers. I'm thankful we can get something like this going."
Schmidt's sister created a savings account at Washington Mutual - that is where the funds for Schmidt's search money will go directly, Behbahany said.
"I feel like [Quinn] is proud of what Shaena's doing," Stroud said. "Not only for her, but for Jeff too."
The bracelets are white and feature an anchor, Delta Gamma's symbol, next to Truong's name, and a cross and crescent, the symbol of Schmidt's fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha.
"Losing Quinn and Jeff has been the first time I have lost anyone close to me," Behbahany said. "They were both amazing people and words can't explain how much I miss them."
"Quinn was the type of person that made friends wherever she went," said Stroud, who has previous fundraising experience, one being with Truong in high school. "She was personable, full of life and unique. This is the most important fundraiser I've ever done."
For more information on purchasing a remembrance bracelet, contact Behbahany at behbahas@onid.orst.edu.
On Nov. 19, 2006, Schmidt and Truong's Jeep Wrangler crashed into the North Umpqua River while they were returning home from a trip to Diamond Lake.
A dive team recovered Truong's body on Nov. 21, while the body of her boyfriend, Schmidt, has not been recovered.
Shaena Behbahany, one of Truong's sorority sisters in Delta Gamma, felt it was her responsibility to do whatever she could to help the Douglas and Jackson County rescue teams with their efforts to find Schmidt's body.
Through Behbahany's time and dedication, rubber bracelets, reading "Quinn and Jeff, In Our Hearts Forever," will be sold for $4 through contact with Behbahany.
"Everyone has been willing to help," Behbahany said.
Half of the money from the fundraiser will go toward the search effort, while the rest will be used for a Delta Gamma scholarship in honor of Truong.
"Even though I only knew Quinn for about a month, we were able to do so much together," said Behbahany, who met Truong during Bid Day. "This fundraiser is a way to remember them both and raise money for two very good causes."
In addition to Behbahany, Ashleigh Stroud stepped up to give her a hand with the overall process of starting the fundraiser.
"Quinn and I have been friends since elementary school," Stroud said. "This fundraiser is an answer to my prayers. I'm thankful we can get something like this going."
Schmidt's sister created a savings account at Washington Mutual - that is where the funds for Schmidt's search money will go directly, Behbahany said.
"I feel like [Quinn] is proud of what Shaena's doing," Stroud said. "Not only for her, but for Jeff too."
The bracelets are white and feature an anchor, Delta Gamma's symbol, next to Truong's name, and a cross and crescent, the symbol of Schmidt's fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha.
"Losing Quinn and Jeff has been the first time I have lost anyone close to me," Behbahany said. "They were both amazing people and words can't explain how much I miss them."
"Quinn was the type of person that made friends wherever she went," said Stroud, who has previous fundraising experience, one being with Truong in high school. "She was personable, full of life and unique. This is the most important fundraiser I've ever done."
For more information on purchasing a remembrance bracelet, contact Behbahany at behbahas@onid.orst.edu.
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