News : Honoring Emma in blue

Tilford staff members joined those from other VS buildings in wearing blue for Emma on Monday.

A donation jar at Ehlingher's brought in $1,100 for the Redlinger family Sunday morning.

Vinton-Shellsburg students and staff at all buildings wore blue on Monday in memory of Emma Redlinger. Customers at Ehlinger's Vinton Express donated just under $1,500 to the family on Sunday, when the business offered free coffee, hot chocolate and donuts in exchange for donations.

On social media, many local residents changed their Facebook profile photos to something with blue to show their support.

"What an awesome community we have," said Mel Davis, who was one of many Ehlinger's employees to greet customers on Sunday.

First Christian Church was full for two hours Sunday night, as hundreds of people -- many of them Vinton-Shellsburg High School students and friends and classmates of Emma Redlinger -- gathered to remember the 14-year-old who died Saturday.

Rev. Connie Wacht of First Christian Church organized the rally, where visitors received green wristbands and pins indicating the decision of Emma's parents, Steve Redlinger and Aimee Redlinger, to allow Emma to become an organ donor. Others wrote messages of love for Emma and her family. Reflection rooms gave participants an opportunity to address their emotions, and many wrote on small blue pieces of paper -- blue was Emma's favorite color -- the one thing they most want to remember about her.

The outpouring of love for Emma and her family has been going on since she was the victim of an accidental shooting at a friend's house on Tuesday evening, and has continued since her death on Saturday.

Monday will be "Dress in Blue for Emma Day" at Vinton-Shellsburg High School, where Emma was a freshman. On Sunday morning, dozens of people visited Ehlinger's Vinton Express, where customers received free doughnuts and coffee while making donations to the family. Those people had donated more than $1,100 by 10 a.m.; other customers made donations throughout Sunday.

Funeral arrangements are pending with Phillips Funeral Home in Vinton, but Aimee said she believes that Emma would prefer a ceremony that is more of a Celebration of Life than a traditional funeral.

While television reporters gathered outside with their cameras at the vigil, organizers had made it off-limits to interviews and photography, in an attempt to allow mourners to share their grief and comfort each other in privacy.