Getty Images; FacebookEarlier this year, The Vampire Diaries and The Originals family lost one of their own in a tragic accident.
Sarah Jones, a young camera assistant in Georgia, lost her life while working on the film set for the Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider due to unsafe working conditions. Today would have been her 28th birthday, and the TVD and Originals cast and crew are honoring her in an incredibly meaningful way.
Members from both CW hit shows banded together to organize a 5K walk-a-thon in Atlanta, where both shows film, on Sunday, October 5, led by Jones' parents, Richard and Elizabeth Jones, along with her brother Eric. All proceeds from the event will go to the Sarah Jones Film Foundation.
We were so moved when we heard about this amazing event that we sat down with TVD/Originals boss Julie Plec so she could tell us all about how the walk-a-thon will honor Jones and help her family. Watch our exclusive interview with Plec below!
"She was a really beautiful girl and a really wonderful person and extremely close with the cast and crew of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals," Plec said. "So the crews of both shows and some of the cast of both shows have all been invited. We're going to have fun making it a full social media experience for everyone and get people to tweet along as they walk, other crews across the country can walk with us, we're going to try to put together a Spotify playlist...and it's a fundraising experience."
Plec continued, "She will be missed, and this is our way of celebrating her."
You can tweet along with the walkers in attendance using the hashtag #SafetyForSarah and follow along @SlatesForSarah for updates. You can also donate online here or send donations directly to:
Sarah Jones Film Foundation
c/o Central Carolina Community Foundation
2711 Middleburg Dr. Ste 213
Columbia, South Carolina 29204