Turlock
Starting next week, folks around Turlock are likely to see "ZMO STRONG" T-shirts popping up in the community.
The shirts were created to honor 2015 Turlock High graduate Zachery Moore - dubbed Z-Mo during his playing days - who died on Jan. 18 in an automobile accident on Highway 108. Bulldogs basketball players wore the T-shirts during warm-ups for their Central California Conference matchup with crosstown rival Pitman on Jan. 19. Turlock won the game 45-43.
"We found out about the accident the day of the Pitman game," said Turlock basketball coach Doug Cornfoot. "We have a substitute teacher here (Nick Crivelli), whose father owns Crivelli's Shirts, and he was talking with (assistant coach) Cam Sherwood about doing something to honor Zach during the game, and they came up with the idea for the Zmo Strong shirts.
"Now people have seen them and we're getting a lot of requests for them from the community."
A Zach Moore Memorial Scholarship Fund has also been established at the school and proceeds from the sales of the T-shirts will benefit the scholarship.
"Got a call from my son, who was subbing at the high school, at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon and they needed them for that game that night," Greg, owner of Crivelli's Shirts & More in downtown Turlock and a 1984 graduate of Turlock High.
Basically, he had five hours to turn around a job that normally would take a week.
"We do a lot for Turlock basketball and try to help them as much as we can," said Crivelli. "And I know Dave. It's a sad situation ... but the kids wanted it, so we made it happen."
The shirts should be available to the public by Tuesday and will sale for $15 each at the school, according to Cornfoot.
The outpouring of public support continues to amaze, and bolster, Zachery's father, Dave Moore.
"Oh, it's unbelievable," said Moore, who does public address announcing at Turlock High for baseball, boys and girls basketball and freshman and junior varsity football. "It's just like I told you before, I didn't know he touched so many lives, I didn't know he touched so many people. I have no words. I'm more and more shocked every day."
A Go Fund Me account that was started on behalf of the family has earned more than $14,000, which will go toward funeral and other expenses.
Moore thinks his son would be stunned by the support his family has received. "He was all about family and he was all about helping people," said Moore a driver for Federal Express. "I know he'd be overwhelmed."
This story was originally published January 24, 2018 5:02 PM.