EHS Students Give to Help Salem Crash Victim

Effingham High School students have shown they are "Weston Strong". 

"Weston" is Weston McGhee, a seventh grader in Salem schools. He was riding with his older brother, Wyatt, on a foggy day March 11 when Wyatt pulled into the path of a garbage truck. Wyatt, a former star baseball player at Salem who graduated last year, was killed in the crash, while Weston was critically injured and is still hospitalized in St. Louis.

Word of the crash and Weston's condition got to some EHS students who noted that Salem is a fellow Apollo Conference member and wondered whether they could do something to demonstrate good sportsmanship and compassion. It was decided to pass a bucket around school to see whether any financial contribution could be made to the McGhee family. The first day the bucket was passed, $500 was raised. That led to the sale of "Weston Strong" t-shirts, adopting the theme being used in Salem on Weston's behalf. The EHS Graphic Arts department developed and printed the t-shirts and the sale of those shirts raised another $1,000.

EHS teacher Eric Lux is a Salem native and used to work with Salem Athletic Director Scott Steward. The plan is to give the money to Steward, who will in turn present the money to the McGhee family to assist with their considerable expenses.

Lux's wife, Cheri, also an EHS teacher, said when EHS students became aware of the incident, they said, "We oughta help!"

And, now they have.