On February 18 in downtown St. Louis, Janae Edmondson and her Mid TN Volleyball teammates were walking in the city when she was struck by a car that sped through an intersection. Both of Edmondson’s legs were amputated and she is recovering. The 17-year-old setter, who played for Smyrna High School, was set to go to the University of Tennessee Southern, an NAIA school located in Pulaski, Tennessee, which will honor her volleyball scholarship.
Janae Edmondson has received a flood of love and support from people she has never met.
Spurred by efforts of her club, Mid TN, and Smyrna High School, people from the volleyball community – and many other walks of life – have banded together to support the Janae and her family.
Rhonda Ross, director of Mid TN, and the club set up a GoFundMe page, gofundme.com/f/pray-for-janae, which also can be accessed through the club website (midtnvbc.com). More than $700,000 has been contributed.
Ross said most of the donations have come from the volleyball community, some even from clubs overseas who saw Janae’s story.
“When we started, I didn’t even know if we could make $100,000,” said Ross, who is helping to handle communication with the Edmondson family. “We had put on there if we could just raise $100,000 to start them off and then have another fundraiser later. I never dreamed that all the volleyball world would come together and give so much and pour their hearts into this.
“You know, we’re this little sport that competes with basketball and football … and this many people come together as one.”
The GoFundMe campaign is just one of the means by which people have rallied to support the Edmondsons. Smyrna High, where Janae was a three-sport athlete — she also played basketball and softball — also has created a fund for the family.
On the school’s home page, shs.rcschools.net, there is a QR code that can be scanned to purchase a T-shirt – in Janae’s favorite color, purple – with proceeds going to help the family. Proceeds from the purchase of bracelets made by parents also are part of Smyrna’s effort.
The school’s website has the following posted:
“An account has been set up for the family through the school. This will ensure that every dollar given will make it to the family. Money can be dropped off at the school in an envelope or mailed. Please write on the envelope ‘attention: Katy Bell re: Janae.’ Money can be mailed to…
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