Notre Dame Students Remember Brookfield Teen Famous for Completing Bucket List

The Brookfield teen who was killed last July is being remembered by what would have been her fellow classmates at Notre Dame.

Rebecca Draper Townsend, 17, passed away Thursday, July 2, 2015 after she was struck and killed on Lake Ave. in Danbury while crossing the street. Her friend Benjamin Arne was critically injured. Townsend gained worldwide attention when her family released a bucket list she wrote as a sophomore at Immaculate High School in Danbury. It was found on her bed shortly after she passed away.

The list included three things she wished to accomplish by senior year; To fly to Spain. To kiss in the rain. To save a life. Rebecca completed the first two things on the list and sadly, the third just moments before her death. Her sister Victoria told BuzzFeed news, that the last thing Ben remembers before the crash is Rebecca pushing him and telling him to hurry up. Rebecca legacy of being kind is living on through the lives of others.

Some of those who are remembering the young philanthropist are the freshman class of Notre Dame where Rebecca would have entered her freshman year this fall. In the school newspaper The Observer, J.P. Gschwind reported that the Notre Dame class of 2019 began “an ongoing commitment to honor her memory.”

Incoming freshman Taja Reynolds said a group of freshmen created and sold bracelets in Rebecca’s memory to benefit She’s The First, a charity that grants scholarships to impoverished girls in developing countries. Townsend started a chapter at her high school.

The brainchild of Notre Dame freshman Nick Bufalino and his classmates, the $3 bracelets raised more than $4,600.

“The positive reception and support from the Notre Dame family has truly been overwhelming. As a first generation student at Notre Dame, I am so thankful to be part of a community that goes beyond the call of duty to show genuine support in a time of need,” Bufalino told The Observer.

The Notre Dame class of 2019 is also making a quilt with messages of support for the Townsend family, according to the paper.

Click here to read the full story on The Observer.

Related:

Brookfield Teen Killed in Crash Completed Bucket List

Rebecca Draper Townsend, 17 of Brookfield, Passed Away

Community is #RememberingRebecca After Teen Was Tragically Killed

Brookfield Teen Killed in Danbury Accident

Immaculate High School Holds Vigil for Brookfield Teen

Photo via Remembering Rebecca Facebook page