Sarah Jones Honored

The Vampire Diaries and The Originals cast organized a walk-a-thon yesterday to honor their late camera assistant, Sarah Jones. Sarah’s parents and brother led the walk-a-thon.

The family of Sarah Jones, who died earlier this year in an on-set accident, has set up a foundation in her name and led a walk-a-thon yesterday in order to bring attention to safety issues across the entertainment industry.

Sarah Jones was a camera assistant on both The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. She died on 20th February, 2014. She was working on the Gregg Allman biopic “Midnight Rider” in Georgia when she died due to an on-set accident on a train track.

Her death has resulted in criminal and safety violations charges against three of the film makers. September 22nd was Sarah’s 28th birthday. Her fellow associates and crew members along with her family have organized a walk-a-thon in order to commemorate her and draw attention to on-set safety issues.

Sarah’s parents Richard Jones and Elizabeth Jones from Columbia, South Carolina, have created the “Sarah Jones Film Foundation.” Her family launched a website “SafetyforSarah” in August, to bring attention to safety issues across the entertainment industry. This foundation has also organized another walk-a-thon on October 5th, in Atlanta.

According to the statement of the executive producer, Julie Plec, of both the television productions, The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, they started discussing this walk after Melinda Hsu Taylor saw the intensity of emotions of the crew members who worked with Sarah. According to her, the reason behind this walk-a-thon is to honor Sarah so that her memory /4/not be forgotten, and also to remind people about safety on the set.

The parents of Sarah along with her brother Eric will lead the walkers. The walkers will live-tweet from the event to let people know about it and in order to collect money via online donation links using #SafetyforSarah, while updates will be available through the Twitter account @SlatesforSarah. 

The proceeds will go to the newly created Sarah Jones Film Foundation and will be divided among on-set awareness initiatives, educational scholarships and social media outreach via SlatesofSarah.

Happy Birthday, Sarah Jones. #safetyforsarah #wearesarahjones #teamjones https://t.co/sW2FSyYiMR @SlatesForSarah pic.twitter.com/SP241OdJH6— Bambi. (@NinaOurQueen) September 23, 2014

More information can be found on the website SafetyforSarah. The website contains a link to Sign a Pledge to Sarah. This pledge is a commitment to raise a voice against on-set safety issues, which is currently signed by more than 3300 people. The links to the Facebook groups such as ‘Slates for Sarah’ and ‘I Refuse to Work on Midnight Rider’ can also be found on the website. 

Donations can also be sent directly to:

Sarah Jones Film Foundation

c/o Central Carolina Community

2711 Middleburg Dr. Ste 213

Columbia, South Carolina 29204.

Source: THR