Roanoke Valley schools were awash in orange and yellow on Hokie Hope Day, April 20.

Many pupils, faculty and staff wore Virginia Tech colors or clothing. Others collected donations for memorial funds, all in support of the university after an April 16 shooting in which a student fatally shot 32 people and then himself.

W.E. Cundiff Elementary School is responsible for Virginia Tech memorials at the airport. Cheryl Brenton, a teacher at the school, called Lee Minnix at Happy Time Balloons, who had the balloon column in place by 11:30 a.m. that morning.

They installed a 14-foot balloon column topped with a flag at the airport entrance. A vase of flowers from Petal Pushers Florist was placed on a table by the escalators. Anther business placed a flower memorial and a journal for anyone to write messages. Other flowers have since been added.

On April 18, Colonial Elementary Schools pupils and staff wore Tech colors in recognition of the university's community. They gathered together to form a VT. They also made cards that were sent to the university. Christine Bychowski, a Colonial Elementary teacher who has two children attending Tech, and her husband, Matthew, watched as pictures were taken of the group.

The following are some of the other ways area schools and individuals recognized Hokie Hope Day.

• William Byrd Middle School cheerleaders filled "care bags" for Tech. Team members are co-captains Morgan Cannaday and Kendall Willis, Ashleigh Altice, Kelsey Booth, Hallie Bondurant, Emily Cline, Kacy Edsall, Kayla Gibson, Melissa Gibson, Shana Gilley, Mariah Harper, Briana Hermanson, Kara Jones, Taylor Lafferty, Hannah Smith and Paige St. Clair.
• Woodrow Wilson Middle School pupils decorated a banner that was hung in the Squires Student Center at Tech.
• The Roanoke County Public Schools crisis center volunteered at Tech, running support groups and disaster relief counseling.
• Kristen Bacon, senior at Roanoke Catholic School, helped raise money for surviving victims and families directly affected by the shooting at Virginia Tech. She made orange and maroon ribbons that she distributed to students for donations, which will be sent by the school.
• The Roanoke County Career Center in Vinton crafted Tech symbols into buttons and sold them for $1. The buttons were worn on Hokie Hope Day and the money was donated to a memorial fund.
• Glenvar Elementary School made a school-wide poster to give to Virginia Tech and the entire school wore orange and maroon on that Friday.
• Roanoke Catholic School participated in the moment of silence at noon. Then, the St. Andrew Catholic Church bell rang 33 times, signaling the elementary pupils to gather and sing "Let There Be Peace on Earth." Many pupils also donated at least $1 to wear Tech colors instead of their uniforms. The school collected $850, which was donated to the Foundation for Roanoke Valley's School Violence Fund.
• Pupils, faculty and staff at Glenvar Middle School, the Roanoke County Public Schools central office and Oak Grove Elementary School wore maroon and orange.