CAYCE, S.C. — First grade students at Springdale Elementary school received a gift to remember their classmate, Faye Swetlik.
An anonymous donor gave first grade students at her school a shirt with "Faye"th, Hope, Love" in purple and pink, her favorite colors. The donor hoped the students would wear them to Friday night's memorial service.
The way 'Faye' is written is how the little girl wrote it.
Due to the overwhelming response to the shirts, individual pre-order is available. Adult shirts are $7 and youth shirts are $5. Orders will be accepted until Monday, February 24 at 5 p.m. For more information on how to order a shirt, go to this Facebook page.
The original goal of the shirts was to raise money for Mrs. Tynes, one of Swetlik's teachers so she could do something in honor of Swetlik at Springdale Elementary.
One of the organizers, Valerie Shumpert, says the response they received to the shirts was not what they expected.
"The past 2 weeks have been devastating and hard for our community. But in the midst of the heartbreak, we have found strength as a unified community. There have been many events and projects to help ensure that Faye’s memory is kept alive. Our love as a community for this sweet girl has poured out and people have laid any differences they may have aside and focused on one sweet beacon of joy. One effort that was put into motion was a t-shirt. A simple shirt, but a powerful shirt. “Faye”th, hope, love... three words that embody the joy that Faye had. The community rallied around this project and it grew quickly," Shumpert wrote.
According to Shumpert, seven women from Blythwood's DMV headquarters purchased shirts for themselves, and also for every first-grader so that "that they would have a simple reminder of their sweet friend, gone too soon."
Faye Swetlik's memorial will be held on Friday at 7 PM at Trinity Baptist Church in Cayce. Caughman Harman Funeral Home has said that all expenses for her funeral have been covered.
Faye, 6, disappeared from her front yard in Cayce while she was playing after school.
Her body was discovered in a wooded area in her neighborhood and a neighbor has been accused in her death.