Davion Flanagan Memorial Scholarship Fund

Jaime Flanagan is organizing this fundraiser.

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Contributions will be used to create a memorial barber school scholarship fund in memory & honor of Davion Flanagan.

My name is Jaime Flanagan & I am the mother of Davion Flanagan. My son, Davion Flanagan, was the ‘friend in the backseat’, a victim passenger along with his friend Dominic Russo, in the horrific Strongsville, Ohio car crash that occurred on 7/31/22. The terrible tragedy & events surrounding this so called ‘Hell on Wheels’ case have been highlighted & detailed by numerous news & social media outlets, thus capturing the hearts & attention of many nationwide & even globally.

My son, Davion Flanagan, was a lifelong, gifted athlete who was known for his infectious smile, kind heart, & fierce commitment to friends & family. Davion was a member of the Strongsville High School Football team & served as the starting running back for the team during his graduating year in 2022. He loved sports of all kinds & typically excelled at any sport that he tried. In addition to football, Davion competed in various sports year-round such as track, baseball, basketball, & swimming. He ultimately focused his efforts around his love for football. He loved being part of the team, the physical challenge of being a running back, & enjoyed every moment spent under the bright lights of the stadium. However, there were several summers when Davion successfully balanced grueling football practices in addition to serving as a much-loved volunteer coach for younger athletes in our local summer swim league. He was a true Strongsville Mustang at heart.

Davion also had artistic talent & a passion for cutting hair. He enjoyed styling his own hair & was known for giving himself, friends, & teammates cool, fresh cuts. Davion planned to pursue barber school & dreamed of opening his own barber shop in the future. He was working full-time after finishing high school to save money & was in the process of applying to Allstate Hairstyling & Barber College in Cleveland, OH with the goal of attending the Fall 2023 barber program.

Sadly, Davion was unable to fulfill his dream because his life was tragically taken from him. Davion died, along with his friend Dominic Russo, on 7/31/22. They were victims in a horrific car crash. The driver of that vehicle, Mackenzie Shirilla, has since been tried & found guilty of murdering both Davion & Dominic. She has been sentenced to serve 2 concurrent life sentences & is eligible for parole in 15 years.

Our family & the community have suffered a devastating loss. Our families are heartbroken & will never be truly whole again. So many hearts & dreams were shattered that awful day in that horrific crash.

In the midst of this devastating tragedy, our family would like to attempt to create something good & hopeful. We would like our son, Davion, to be remembered & to be honored in a way that somehow contributes to joy & goodness in this world. We hope to memorialize Davion’s life in a way that gives back & that will carry on the love & kindness that he himself carried in his own beautiful heart. The love that he wanted so badly for himself & that he gave to the world around him.

The proceeds from this fundraiser will be used to create a memorial scholarship fund to help future barbers attend & achieve their dream. A dream shared by our son. The barber school program can be quite expensive. The $16,000 tuition may be financially out of reach for many young adults that could flourish if given the opportunity. Our hope is to collect enough funding to provide an annual, full-tuition scholarship for the barber program at Allstate Hairstyling & Barber College located in Cleveland, OH.

Davion had such a generous & kind soul. He loved helping others & went out of his way to show others that they were valued & worthy. Davion would have loved the idea of giving back to the community in his name & through this scholarship fund. This scholarship fund will help Davion live on forever in our hearts & memories while also helping others achieve their goals & dreams.

Thank you so much for considering a donation to help memorialize Davion’s life & to give back to the community in his name.

Love,

Jaime Flanagan (Davion’s mom) & the entire Flanagan family

Update: This gofundme was organized by Davion’s good friend, Hope Bedenik. The account has now been fully transferred over to the Flanagan family.

Original Post: Davion‘s life was tragically taken in a horrific car crash on 7/31/22 that has left his friends, family, & loved ones grieving.

Davion was the most caring person you will ever meet. He was always there for you no matter what. The second you text Davion he was there to help you and talk to you always.

Davion had the brightest soul. He cared deeply for his family and friends and always knew how to make you smile and laugh. He will forever be an unforgettable person that was loved by so many.

If you’re able to donate it would be greatly appreciated by his family. Davion will be greatly missed and forever in our thoughts and prayers. ❤️

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