ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- The county is grieving the loss of three siblings who tragically drowned on the James River over the weekend.

They were remembered on Aug. 10 during a celebration of life at the Albemarle High School gym, to honor their memory and the impact they left on the community.

"Always happy and like, just full of energy,” a friend, AHS student, and WOCHA member, Airianna Gaines said.

A light to those around them is how friends who knew the Wade siblings, Omar, Marieme Imane, and Aicha Amira, remember their legacy.

"They all three made an impact on the AHS community and Charlottesville community,” said Gaines.

The siblings, 19, 16 and 10 years old, drowned in the James River over the weekend. Their deaths shocked the community. For those close to them, it didn't feel real.

"It was hard to believe. I was getting messages through Snapchat, like people were shocked. Telling me that they couldn't believe it. And I didn't believe it until the news article came out. And it was just, it was rough. it was really hard,” a friend, AHS student, and WOCHA member, Nyjiah Carter said.

But, the siblings left a big impact. Omar was a great chess player. Marieme was a basketball star. Aicha was a sixth grader just starting life.

Their memories were shared during Thursday night's celebration of life at Albemarle High School.

"I am friends with most of the WOCHA members here, and I was really close friends with Marieme Wade. And she was in WOCHA with me obviously and she was a very, very big impact on my life. She was just a light that like, you can't really get back now," said Carter.

Three young souls that are gone too soon, but their joy is what friends, families, teachers, mentors and coaches have left to remember.

"Make sure you live every day with a purpose and a passion. That's what they did. You never take life for granted, so that's one of the things that I’ve learned more than anything from these three individuals. That you never take life for granted and always do it with passion and love and with a smile on your face,” the program manager for the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at UVA, Joshua Epps said.

A fundraiser has been set up to help support the Wade family. More than $99,000 has been raised so far.