Family Of Killed Boy Thanks Community In Video

GREELEY, CO – The family of an 8-year-old boy killed in an accident by a church parade float on Monday in Windsor released a video and statement thanking the community for their support and remembering their son.

Brycen Zerby, a student at Frontier Elementary in Greeley, was killed by the float as he participated in the Windsor Harvest Festival parade on behalf of his family's church, Generations Church in Greeley.

In the video, his parents, Jimmy and Melissa Zerby thanked the friends and strangers who had sent condolences, they also thanked first responders, hospital staff and doctors, members of their church and the company where Jimmy Zerby works, Clear Water Products.

Clear Water colleagues have started a GoFundMe account for the Zerby family.

"For those in the community that were present at the accident, we know you share in the horror and the pain of the events from Monday morning," Jimmy Zerby said in the video. "We all saw and heard things that cannot be unseen, and we want to acknowledge the hurt that this entire community is working to overcome."

He said their son had been looking forward to the parade.

"Our sweet boy woke up so excited on Monday to serve with our church in the parade, inviting people to hear the Good News," Zerby said, adding the family's faith was helping them cope.

"[W]e find unrelenting hope in the fact that while we were fighting to save our baby boy from this horrendous accident, he was bathed in the glory of God as he met his Savior and creator face to face. He was a baptized believer of the one true King and we stand firm on the promise that we will see our sweet Brycen Boy again."

The funeral for Brycen was held at Generations Church Friday in Greeley. A graveside service was held Saturday at Lakeside Cemetery in Canon City, where the family originally resided.

Frontier Elementary Principal Bradford Every sent a letter to parents saying the school would have a "crisis response team" available for students and staff. Every also included a handout for parents called Helping Children Cope.

Brycen was born in 2009 in Pueblo and the family moved to Greeley, according to his obituary. He was described as "all boy" with fondness for the Broncos, NASCAR racing, football, baseball, soccer, swimming, riding bikes, jumping on the trampoline, hunting and fishing, his family said, and he loved to sing and dance.

Image via Zerby family

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