Schools in Montezuma County plan to donate proceeds from high school basketball games this weekend to a Dolores family, which is grieving for a teenager who died in a car crash last week near Flagstaff, Arizona.
Thirteen-year-old Trenton Pawlicki died Jan. 25 while traveling to a BMX competition in Phoenix with his father, Aaron Pawlicki, and his 17-year-old brother, Davien Pawlicki. Aaron Pawlicki remains hospitalized with serious injuries. Davien Pawlicki suffered minor injuries.
Organizers of the fundraisers, which is led by school resource officers, ask that fans wear purple, which was Trenton’s favorite color.
SRO Jesse Minor of the Mancos Marshal’s Office told The Journal that after learning that Dolores schools would donate varsity ticket sales to the Pawlicki family, he wanted the Mancos and Montezuma-Cortez districts to join the effort. Minor’s son and Dolores High School student Davien Pawlicki are friends.
Minor was inspired by a quote that his wife read in the Mancos school lobby: “Alone we are strong, together we are stronger.”
“That got me thinking, well, wouldn’t it be cool if we could get as many people there as possible so we could help this family out?” Minor asked.
With the help of other SROs, the local schools all agreed to participate.
“All three schools are going to donate their gate entry fees to the Pawlickis,” Minor said.
Friday night, the Montezuma-Cortez girls basketball game tips off against the Alamosa Mean Moose at 5:30 p.m., and the boys game, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors age 65 and up.
Dolores hosts Ridgeway on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mancos plays Telluride Saturday at 11 a.m.
As of Thursday night, a GoFundMe account set up in honor of the family had raised $58,610.
The crash occurred during winter conditions near Munds Park outside Flagstaff as the Pawlickis drove to Phoenix for the BMX World Qualifier. The Pawlickis’ car hydroplaned and was T-boned by an oncoming car.
Daniel Pawlicki has shared updates about his brother, Aaron Pawlicki, who remains hospitalized with a broken neck, collapsed lung and damage to his liver, heart and spleen.
