EVERETT — At times, the carwash looked less like a memorial for Russelle Yap and more like a celebration.
Cascade High School students sprayed SUVs with a hose, then turned the water on each other. Pop songs streamed from a radio, competing with the sound of laughter.
There were signs, however, that this wasn’t a typical summertime gathering.
Teens would suddenly hug each other or share a few quiet words. Others would duck inside the nearby Windermere Real Estate office to cry, overcome with grief by Russelle’s death two days earlier.
“The car wash is not the main thing on their hearts and minds,” Cascade High School teacher Nicole Steinke said after having her Toyota Corolla rinsed clean.
The main thing was Russelle himself.
The incoming Cascade High School senior drowned Friday during a rafting trip on the Skykomish River. He was 17.
At least 50 of his friends participated in the car wash, raising $3,725. They plan to give the money to Russelle’s family, helping pay for his funeral. That’s tentatively scheduled for Saturday.
His friends also are organizing a service for him on Tuesday afternoon at Cascade High School. Details on that are coming together.
Friends helped put together the fundraiser, passing out fliers with Russelle’s picture and posting messages to Facebook. Many wore red T-shirts — red was Russelle’s favorite color.
The event gave everyone a welcome distraction. Some had been focused on the events leading up to Russelle’s death. “I just start thinking about what-ifs,” said Johnny Mills, 18.
Mills described Russelle as “more like a brother” than a best friend. Both went to the river with other Cascade High School students on Friday to escape the heat.
At the car wash, Mills barked out orders to keep a line of vehicles moving. The activity gave Russelle’s friends a chance to lean on one another.
“We’re all connected in a special way now,” Mills said.
Sean Dau, 17, agreed.
He wasn’t on the river trip. Still, he has known Russelle since elementary school.
At the car wash, he stood on a Chevy Tahoe’s running board with a hose, blasting suds off the SUV’s roof. He smiled as the water splashed on others.
“To get past the hurt, you need joy,” he said.
Russelle was known for just that — his laugh, his smile, his happy approach to life.
Taylor Destito, 16, suspected the varsity tennis player would have turned the entire event into a big joke. “He’s probably looking down, laughing, saying that we’re horrible washing cars,” she said.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.
Saying goodbye to Russelle
Russelle Yap’s family has tentatively scheduled his funeral for Saturday. His friends also are organizing a memorial for him on Tuesday afternoon at Cascade High School, 801 E. Casino Road.
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