For a slideshow of over 400 photos from “Peace, Love, and Music From Maren” click HERE.

By Kayla Patrick, Emily LaLuna, and Darby Hudd – Sports Editors

Thousands of people came together to celebrate the life of Maren Sanchez on Saturday, April 25.

“Peace, Love, and Music From Maren” took place at Jonathan Law High School from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The day marked the one year anniversary of the Maren’s passing.

All proceeds from this event went to the Maren Sanchez Scholarship Fund. An estimated $30,000 was raised throughout the day.

“We thought it was really important that we remember that this was about her, it was about the many things that she loved to do and the lives that she touched and continues to touch just in her memory,” Law principal  Fran Thompson said.

Opening remarks from Mayor Ben Blake, Milford Superintendent of Schools Dr. Elizabeth Feser, and Thompson officially opened the event.

The day started off with over 600 participants running a 5K Fun Run which began and ended at the school. The day also included a kickball tournament, a mural art competition, a raffle, live music all day, 18 bounce houses, 13 food trucks, and over a dozen local vendors.

The celebration took place near Maren’s Memory Garden. The purple garden, which now includes three benches, is open to the public and is often a spot for students to sit and during the day.

“Peace, Love, and Music From Maren” was coordinated by a committee made up of Thompson, Law history teacher Kelsey Burns, parents Elena Garet Herbert, Jessie and Mike Hudd, Karen Pasacreta, and more. The day was also very successful because of the generosity and volunteerism of students and members of the Milford community.

Several members of the Law faculty helped organize the kickball tournament which  took place on the softball field. The tournament featured 22 pre-registered teams, and former longtime Law football announcer Larry Kochiss was on hand to do play-by-play. The “Flat Foot Foosies” won the tournament and each member took home donated gift cards from the Shelton Sports Center.

“Winning the tournament was awesome and I had a lot of fun playing with my friends,” junior Nick Catandella said. “The best part was knowing we were celebrating Maren’s life at the same time.”

The mural art contest featured 4×4 foot pieces of masonite that the artists used to create their own design related to the event. There were a total of 14 artists that submitted their work.

Three murals were announced as winners and will now be displayed placed around Law. Other entries will also be displayed around Milford.

The raffle was put together by Jonathan Law’s Interact Club and prizes were sponsored by businesses around Milford. By the end of the day, all raffle tickets were sold out.

Each raffle basket was valued at least $500 or more. Among the prizes in the 30 baskets were a kayak, a laptop, a TV, a sound plate, and a grill.

“When we began reaching out to businesses to ask for assistance in fundraising for the raffle, we had no idea what to expect,” Law Interact Club advisor and guidance counselor Mrs. Haramis said. “The outpouring of support from businesses, community members, and our parents was tremendous. It was truly an amazing day.””

The stage was set up on the football field and featured live music throughout the day from local bands, Law students, the Law choir, and alumni. Seniors Rachel Escobar, Mick Murray, and Craig Calderone performed Saturday afternoon in honor of their friend who adored music and singing herself.

“Maren was all about ‘just doing it’, so I knew when I was given the opportunity to sing I couldn’t pass it up,” Escobar said. “I promised her that I would not let her be silenced and I meant it. I know she was singing with me through it all.”

Radio personality and Law alum Brian Smith served as the official Master of Ceremonies for the event.

The bounce house extravaganza was a great way to attract all ages to the celebration. Kids and teens enjoyed the bounce houses, the bull riding, the velcro wall, jousting, the obstacle courses, a bungee run, a slam dunk challenge, and more fun activities.

A wide variety of food trucks served food at the celebration to the attendees. The food trucks offered local favorites. Some trucks that attended were Poutine, Chompers, Cafe Romeo, Mama Dee’s Italian Kitchen, and more.

“The food trucks were so good and had all types of food that everyone would love,” senior Kelsey Kopazna said. “I had the strawberry cloud fried dough; hands down best fried dough ever.”

Several activity tents at the event were hosted by local organizations, student clubs, and teams. The Law softball and volleyball teams manned the dunk tank.

Vendors Flip Hair Salon, where Maren had worked, and the Title Boxing Club, where Maren was a member, were two local businesses who attended the event.

Other vendors offered face painting, Maren memory locks, cupcake decorating, henna tattoos, purple hair extensions, and more. Donations were suggested at individual booths.

“We wanted to have as many activities as possible for everyone to have fun and something to do,” Burns said.

The Maren memory locks were very popular for students and attendees at the celebration. Supporters were allowed to write anything they wanted on a lock and latched them to the fence on top of the hill leading to the athletic fields.

“Theresa Patrick who runs the junior post prom committee came up with the idea and she thought it would be a great last tribute to her,” Burns said.

Attendees of the celebration loved the event and had a lot of fun. Students and faculty thought it was a great way to spend the day.

“I was happy to see such a great turnout,” senior Jarrod Butts said. “The music and activities were an amazing tribute to Maren’s life.”

The senior class was thankful for the “Peace, Love, and Music From Maren” celebration for their fellow class member. The day was what Maren would want – with everyone together and smiling.

“To make it from her it was kind of like she was giving us this day, she was there with us for the weather and it was a really great day for everybody, a bunch of smiles,” Thompson said.