Lit candles lined the front of a Highlands Ranch church on Saturday as members of the community honored the life of 14-year-old Ashley Scott.
Over a hundred people sat solemnly inside the Cherry Hills Community Church, the light shining through the stained-glass windows filled the chapel as Ashley's father, Troy Henington, spoke through welling tears.
"Ashley was a firebrand. It would take a burst from a furnace for such a personality to be born," Henington said, calling the young girl a "once-in-a-lifetime personality."
A hand-drawn portrait of Ashley, in black and white, stood behind her father, highlighting that firebrand personality that became so beloved by the community and state in such a short time.
Ashley passed away on Oct. 23, but despite a life that ended too soon, her legacy in the state -- especially among both her high school classmates and the homeless community -- lives on.
The teen -- described by friends and family as loving, adventurous, humorous and bright -- showed the signs of her "once-in-a-lifetime personality" at just the age of six when she started KidsCareToo with her Christmas money.
The KidsCareToo project began on Christmas Eve in 2016, with Ashley and her mother, Annette Turnpaugh Henington, walking up and down Tejon Street and Nevada Avenue in downtown Colorado Springs and handing out bags of presents to the homeless. During the first giveaway, little Ashley donned a Santa suit.
The first year they gave away 15 gift bags. The next Christmas, they gave away 100 gift bags in both Pueblo and Colorado Springs.
She made such an impact that then-Gov. John Hickenlooper recognized the tiny blonde's big heart in his State of the State address in 2018.
"We're putting our faith in people like 7-year-old Ashley Scott from Colorado Springs," Hickenlooper said. "Two years ago, she started a holiday benefit and purchased blankets, socks and gloves for the homeless. This past year, she partnered with 20 businesses, her school, and the community to do even more."
Hickenlooper remarked that it was a shame that she couldn't run for governor.
But the impact didn't stop there. Ashley's teammates from the Rock Canyon High School's cheerleading team spoke of the profound influence she had on them as friends, too.
"She had a brilliance to her that didn't dim the lights of other people, but made them brighter," Marcee Keister, a friend and teammate, said.
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"I know this loss is one of the hardest things any of us have faced," Anthony, another teammate, said to the cheerleading team in the pews. "Let's not dwell on the sadness. Instead, let's focus on the amazing things Ashley did for everyone."
Stories were told of Ashley's love for scary movies, her perseverance when learning to be a cheerleading flyer and her unmatched humor.
Every peer that spoke during the memorial service ended their speech with "Do it for Ashley," a phrase and hashtag catching on throughout the school's community.
But beyond the hashtag, most of the teens noted that the girl's passing should push them to be braver, more open and more accepting.
"In honor of Ashley, let's strive to be better, kinder and more compassionate individuals," a friend named Stella said, adding that it was important to create a space where people could be vulnerable and express their problems.
"Let's check in on our friends," she said.
Though Ashley's death took her parents by surprise, her mother believed the teenager was bullied.
"We believe Ashley struggled with bullying, as well as other everyday teenage pressures in her life," Henington told The Denver Gazette, adding that families try to be too perfect and don't talk about what it means when life isn't OK.
All in all, Ashley left behind a lasting impression on everyone she met, all of the family and friends noted through their speeches.
"Ashley lived more in her 14 years than many did in their lifetime," Annette Turnpaugh Henington said. "She was a daredevil in a princess dress... Her spirit was fearless and her heart compassionate."
The Ashley Isabella Scott Foundation Inc., a Colorado nonprofit, has been created to continue Ashley's life mission to "inspire others, choose kindness, stop bullying." Henington hopes the acronym "DSIS" -- Don't Suffer in Silence -- will catch on in Ashley's honor.
Editor's note: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.
Denver Gazette reporter Carol McKinley contributed to this report.
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