From left, Yuba City High School teacher and alumna Millie Smith, Principal Esperanza Arellano and performing arts teacher Corey Kersting stand near the memorial plaque following Thursday’s 50th anniversary ceremony.

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - Fifty years after a bus crash claimed the lives of 28 Yuba City High School choir students and one teacher, the school community gathered Thursday to remember the victims, honor their legacy and dedicate a living memorial in their name.

The 50th anniversary memorial service was held May 21 at Yuba City High School, where students, staff, alumni and community members gathered at the school’s memorial garden before moving to the quad for a tree dedication. Principal Esperanza Arellano opened the ceremony by acknowledging the lasting impact of the tragedy.

“It was 50 years ago today when the lives of 28 students, one teacher, their families, their classmates, our school, our community and our country were impacted in a way that we could never imagine,” Arellano said. “We are here today to remember and honor our 28 Yuba City High School choir students and one teacher who lost their lives that day.”

Yuba City High School choir students sit together after performing “I See Colors” by Pinkzebra during Thursday’s memorial service honoring the lives lost in the 1976 bus tragedy.

The crash occurred May 21, 1976, while the Yuba City High School choir was traveling to a friendship day event at Miramonte High School in Orinda. The chartered bus went off an Interstate 680 off-ramp in Martinez, leaving a lasting mark on Yuba City and the surrounding region.

At Thursday’s service, the loss was remembered not only as a historic tragedy but as a deeply personal one. Millicent “Millie” Smith, a Yuba City High School chemistry and forensics teacher and alumna, helped lead the moment of silence and the reading of the victims’ names, including that of her late uncle, Lawrence Homer “Larry” Rooney.

“He was my mom’s oldest brother,” Smith said. “She was only 6 when the accident happened, so she barely got to know her brother, and my brothers and sisters never got to know our uncle.”

Smith said she often found comfort at the memorial garden while attending Yuba City High School as a freshman.

“I didn’t really have very many friends because I came from a really small school,” Smith said. “Every lunch day, I’d bring my lunch and I’d sit at the memorial garden because my uncle was there.”

The ceremony also highlighted the students’ continued legacy through music. Corey Kersting, a Yuba City High School performing arts teacher, spoke about the scholarship fund established after the crash to support current and future music students.

A plaque reading “Forever Loved, Always Remembered” is displayed during the dedication of a tree planted in memory of the 28 Yuba City High School choir students and one teacher who died in the May 21, 1976, bus crash.

“As a former recipient of that scholarship myself, I want to acknowledge the positive impact that the scholarship funds have made on music students from our school,” Kersting said.

He said the fund continues to support students today, preserving the memory of those lost while helping future generations of musicians.

Following the reading of names, the Yuba City High School choir performed “I See Colors” by Pinkzebra. Choir teacher Kathryn Campbell said the song was chosen for its message of hope.

“In the midst of something that’s so sad, every life brings color to everyone’s lives,” Campbell said. “Even so long ago, those students brought life to people and touched people’s lives, even though they’re not here anymore. As you can see, they still are touching lives.”

After the performance, attendees moved to the school quad, where a tree planted by the Class of 1976 was dedicated in memory of the crash victims. A new plaque reads, “Forever Loved, Always Remembered.”

Kersting noted that after the crash, the words “We will remember” appeared throughout the community and on the school marquee. On Thursday, those same words once again appeared on the digital marquee at Yuba City High School.

Attendees were also encouraged to remember the survivors, affected families and the way the community united after the tragedy. Special recognition was given to choir teacher Dean Estabrook, who lost both students and his wife in the crash but continued teaching afterward.

“Music has the power to bring people together, to bring joy and bring comfort,” Kersting said. “Following this accident, Dean continued teaching in our schools, helping create healing and going on to use his music in our community to inspire hundreds, and maybe even thousands, more students following this tragedy.”

Arellano closed the ceremony by encouraging attendees to carry the students’ memory forward.

“As you leave here today, I encourage us all to remember the students, to be inspired by the students and to remember each other,” Arellano said. “We give thanks for the students and the impact they had on Yuba City High School and our Yuba City community. And we will continue to remember and honor their memory and legacy for years to come.”