Friends honor Colorado Springs man killed by drunk driver with birthday fundraiser

New numbers out show the number of deadly Colorado Springs accidents increased from 28 to 30 in 2015.

Sixteen of the 30 deaths died in auto-related accidents; of those deaths, 10 were pedestrians.

And one of those pedestrians was Andrew Shada. The 22-year-old was hit and killed in July while walking home from his job at Hacienda Colorado on El Camino Drive.

Friends describe Shada as a generous, kind-hearted man of faith, who had a large bucket list ahead of him.

“He was just a light to this world,” said Shada’s friend Jackson Rachlis-Graham. “He was the type of guy to give someone the shirt off his back just because they needed it more than he did.”

That’s why they’re celebrating his life, continuing his spirit of generosity.

On Monday, Shada’s birthday, a group hosted an event at Buffalo Wild Wings to raise money for the Andrew Shada Foundation. The proceeds help build Guatemalan schools in his name.

The group also gave out free hugs at the Chapel Hills Mall, something Shada frequently did.

Not only do Shada’s loved ones want to keep his memory alive, they also have a strong message for those thinking about getting behind the wheel after drinking:

“Call a cab, call a friend just do something. It’s not just your life you’re putting in jeopardy. It’s not only the lives of the people involved in the accident. It’s the life of every single person that person has touched. There’s a hole in our lives. There’s an Andrew-shaped hole in our lives,” said Rachlis-Graham.

The fundraiser continues throughout the day on Monday.To participate, all you have to do is eat at the Buffalo Wild Wings on N. Academy and mention Shada’s name.