This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Syracuse • Blue and orange usually represent Syracuse Junior High School, but on Wednesday night, the Seahawks wore purple.
Dakota Kilburn loved the NFL's Minnesota Vikings more than anything, so the team's purple is what his classmates chose to represent the 15-year-old at a vigil the day after he died.
Hundreds of people carried candles and purple plastic cups to remember Dakota, gathering near the crosswalk that two days earlier had been given a new unofficial name: Koda's Crossing.
A southbound car struck the ninth-grader in the crosswalk near 1450 South on 2000 West and sent him into the northbound lanes, where he was pinned under a second vehicle at about 8:30 p.m. on Monday night, Syracuse police said. A group of bystanders had lifted the car off him, said Syracuse police Detective Erin Behm, but he died from his injuries Tuesday morning.
On Wednesday night, the community mourned the loss of Dakota.
"The love of the community has really helped us get through this," said Dakota's uncle Jim Kilburn.
A large tent at the vigil covered a donation table, where students and friends contributed to a fundraising campaign to help Dakota's family cover his medical and funeral expenses. Any additional money raised for Dakota — "a very loyal Vikings fan," Kilburn said — will provide financial aid to children who want to play youth football. The Wasatch Front Football League will match the donation to "help as many children as possible enjoy the game that brought so much joy to Dakota," Syracuse Police Chief Garret Atkin said.
While Atkin and the Syracuse Junior High wrestling coaches addressed the vigil, Dakota's wrestling teammates huddled in a tight hug, holding each other up through the ceremony, which ended with the team's chant of, "We are headstrong," but with one modification: "We are Dakota."
Dakota was a humble, friendly teenager with a "heart of gold," said one of his wrestling coaches, Devin Hale. Somebody else is getting the valves from that heart, according to Kilburn, who said three families so far have received organs because of Dakota's donation.
"That gives my brother peace, knowing there are three more Vikings fans out there," Kilburn said.
Dakota had always been a sports fan, Kilburn said, and if there wasn't a ball in Dakota's hand, he was wrestling. At the end of every practice, Dakota would play a game of catch with coach Stan Penrod.
"I never saw that kid walk out of wrestling without a football in his hand," said Penrod, one of the many people Dakota called coach.
"To Dakota, everyone was coach if they were older," Kilburn said — including the police chief, who considered Dakota a family member after years of backyard football games at his house.
"I'm going to miss teasing him about girls and about his inexplicable love of the Minnesota Vikings," Atkin said. "But to me, football season won't be the same without him."
Twitter: @tiffany_mf