By Gerri Miller
Staff Writer
Hundreds of people filled Hohenberg Stadium in Wetumpka on Sunday evening for a prayer vigil honoring the life of Wetumpka High School (WHS) junior Kamora Thomas.
Sixteen-year-old Kamora died in an automobile accident in Lowndes County on April 3rd. She was a beloved girls’ soccer player who played left back defense at WHS. Many of her friends described her as having a contagious laugh and the ability to succeed at whatever she tried to do. They said that she was the type of person who watched their backs and it was obvious she was deeply loved and an inspiration to many students.
WHS Principal Robbie Slater told her family that the faculty and staff sent their deepest condolences. “We will be doing some things to remember her at school,” he said.
Adam Rackliffe, pastor at Redeeming Grace Fellowship and Kamora’s bus driver, said that when Kamora entered the bus, “there was an infection of laughter.” “She wanted to enjoy life,” he said.
Rackliffe said Kamora’s friends have made a memorial display to her on one of the bus seats.
Rackliffe told the crowd that “sometimes hope is all we have. There is hope because Jesus Christ rose from the dead.”
Kamora’s coach, teammates, classmates and friends spoke during the vigil and many were unable to contain their tears. Rackliffe gave an uplifting message to her friends and family. Near the end of the vigil, everyone was given sparklers, which were lit in her memory. Each member of the girls’ soccer team also presented a rose to Kamora’s family.
Cameron Mann, WHS Junior Class secretary, said that Kamora was a great student athlete, daughter, and friend to all. He said he fondly remember being the new kid last year at WHS and Kamora made him feel at home with her joking antics. “There was never a dull moment with Kamora,” he said.
Jessica Holbert, coach of the WHS girls’ soccer team, said that losing a teammate is something that sticks with you forever.
“Kamora was more than a teammate, she was a genuine friend to all,” Holbert said. “She had a way of making every person she spoke with feel important, loved and celebrated. She had a light in her that attracted others, along with a contagious smile. Her joyful, fun, and fierce spirit was noticed on and off of the soccer field.”
Holbert said that a team is a puzzle and that when one piece is missing, the entire team is broken. “The good times bring you so much happiness that you crave to remember more and more in search of comfort,” she said. “It is hard getting back into the game that you and your teammate share. We must now carry the memories of Kamora with us, hold them in our heart, and seek God as he provides comfort.”
Holbert said the WHS soccer team has chosen to suit up and finish the season as she said Kamora would want. “Encourage, uplift, and motivate each other to put one foot in front of the other each day as you choose to live and play hard like Kamora, our guardian defender,” she said.
