Bartow County Rallies For Family After 3-Year-Old Boy's Death

CARTERSVILLE, GA — Bartow County residents have rallied to help two school leaders whose 3-year-old son was killed on Labor Day in an all-terrain vehicle crash. An online fundraiser set up to help John and Amie Howard with expenses has raised $9,345 as of Sept. 8.

Rhys Howard was riding on an ATV with a 14-year-old driver on Old Tennessee Highway when the ATV went off the shoulder of the road, the driver overcorrected, and the vehicle flipped in a ditch across the road, the Georgia State Patrol told the Daily Tribune News. Authorities have not identified the driver.

John Howard is an assistant principal and athletic director at Woodland High School in Cartersville; his wife, Amie, is an athletic director at Allatoona High School in Cobb County.

"There is an unmistakable and oftentimes overwhelming feeling of sadness in countless classrooms and county offices," a statement from Bartow County Schools posted on Sept. 3 said. "It’s a heartache that nobody can define.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the Howard family and encourage the community to join us as we uplift and rally behind them during this painful time," the school system added.

Dana Migliore Hunt said she created the fundraising page on GoFundMe after many people asked how to help the Howards.

"This precious family is loved by so many," Migliore Hunt wrote. "In times like these we are called to love and support one another in any way that we can. Thank you for taking the time to visit this page and please know how deeply your generosity is appreciated!"

If you want to help the Howard family visit the GoFund Me page Support the Howards.

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