LAYTON, Utah — The funeral for 8-year-old Macie Hill, who was killed in an accident at the Kaysville Fourth of July parade, was held Saturday.
Hill was a cheerleader with the Patriot All-Stars — something her family's spokesperson said she was passionate about.
"I was heartbroken," said Tayden Prisco, a member of Mac's All-Star Cheer. "It was tragic, and it was just really sad,"
Prisco is a 17-year-old student at Farmington High School.
"We just all came out to really bring the cheerleading community together," he said.
Prisco was joined by about 100 members of his team from Draper and Farmington.
In all, the organizer of the event said hundreds of cheerleaders from about 40 schools and teams from across the Beehive State lined Fairfield Road in Layton to honor Hill and support her family in their time of need.
"My cheerleaders are my family, and I feel like we all need to be here as a family just to support Macie's family," said Avian Jennings, a cheerleader at Mount Ogden Junior High.
READ: Farmington issues new parade rules after Kaysville child's death
The cheerleaders donned their uniforms and held signs, some reading "Fly High Macie."
"I have been in the sport 23 years, and every tragedy we have ever faced and every triumph we've ever faced, we've all come together," said Angela Cristaudo with Fusion All-Stars.
These cheerleaders, their coaches and their families also wanted to show how this loss is impacting them.
Jalyn Linkletter and Sierra Tracy are coaches with Mac's All-Star Cheer, where they coach cheerleaders from age six up to 24 years old.
"We coach 8-year-olds, just like her," Tracy said.
"Yeah, it could have been any one of ours, so hit really close to home," Linkletter added.
Following Hill's funeral at the Kaysville Latter-day Saint Stake Center, the hearse drove down Fairfield Road and right past all the cheerleaders lining the street.
As it went by, the cheerleaders threw up the" high V" as the Hill family and their friends drove by.
"I feel like it was just to resemble, like, cheering and to support Macie and her family," said Jennings.
Everyone that FOX 13 News spoke with today said they didn't know Macie or the Hill family personally.
They also felt it was important to show that while the cheer community is highly competitive, they come together in times like this.
Earlier this week, Officer Lexi Benson with the Kaysville Police Department told FOX 13 News that they are still investigating how this incident happened. She said they are looking into further information and trying to gather witness statements.
The details of how this incident happened are expected to be released in the next several days.
