CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — Family and friends of Micah Pietila-Wiggs have decided they want to make sure no one forgets who he was and the legacy he left behind.
In late January, Micah was killed in a car crash near the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
He was a beloved athlete in Chula Vista's Eastlake area, a star player on the Little League baseball team that went to Williamsport in 2013. He then played baseball and football for Eastlake High School and baseball at the University of New Mexico.
Now, his parents have launched the Micah Pietila-Wiggs LLM Foundation — LLM stands for "Live like Micah."
"His personality was just contagious and they just liked to be around him, so I think that's really important. He was just a person that loved life, cared about people, and just did the right thing on a regular basis," said Micah's uncle, Lance Christensen.
Last week, the family hosted the first-ever die and cornhole tournament to raise money for the foundation. The plan is to award scholarships to high school seniors that embody Micah's personality and willingness to help others.
A GoFundMe page is also collecting money for those scholarships.
Micah's parents aren't quite ready to speak to ABC 10News about their son, but his brother Kelii said events like this help them process their grief, and the plan is to now host an annual event in Micah's honor for kids that set an example, as he did for others.
If you'd like to donate to the foundation, you can click here.
