text: The life of a 16-year-old girl stabbed to death at a Connecticut school a year ago on the day of prom was celebrated Saturday by hundreds of people with a road race, fried food and live music. Wearing shirts in Maren Sanchez's favorite color of purple, the crowd filled a baseball field behind Milford's Jonathan Law High School, where she was attacked and killed in a hallway on April 25, 2014. A classmate, Christopher Plaskon, has been charged with murder. After a week of somber remembrances at the school, her classmates and event organizers said the idea was to remember Sanchez on the anniversary of her death as she would have wanted, with smiles and joy. Remembrance: Friends embrace and remember slain student Maren Sanchez on Saturday, April 25, 2015 . Plans: Maren Sanchez, pictured in the dress she had planned to wear to prom, was excited about the dance which was due to attend with her new boyfriend last year . 'I did it': Chris Plaskon is being charged with murder as an adult over the stabbing of Sanchez . 'I don't think there's anything sad about this,' said Darby Hudd, a 17-year-old friend of the slain teen. 'It's such a celebration.' The slaying stunned people around Connecticut and especially in this shoreline city, where Sanchez is remembered as an outgoing person, active in drama and other school activities, who had a kind word for anyone she met. The event included a kickball tournament, bounce houses and a dunk tank, with proceeds benefiting a scholarship program created by Sanchez's mother. The day was bittersweet, with some exchanging long hugs, but organizers said they agreed with Sanchez's mother, Donna Cimarelli, that the community did not need another vigil. 'We've cried a lot in this town. If you knew Maren, she would have embraced an event like this,' said Elena Garet, whose daughter was friends with the teenager. Tragic: This May 2, 2014, file photo shows a girl stopping at a memorial for Maren Sanchez outside Jonathan Law High School, in Milford, Connecticut . Live music: Jonathan Law senior Rachel Escobar and Steve Gonza, of the band Ink, practice a piece of original music written for Maren Sanchez . Mourning friends: Jonathan Law High School senior Jarrod Butts and Jamie Loma, left, and Jill Bendlak, right, remember Maren Sanchez on Saturday . 'Maren was a girl who brought people together.' The classmate accused of attacking Sanchez with a knife, Christopher Plaskon, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney has said he intends to use an insanity defense. Police have said they were looking into whether the attack was related to Sanchez's refusal to be Plaskon's date to their junior prom. Fran Thompson, the high school principal, said students and faculty are still recovering from the loss of the beloved girl. Over the last week, he said, the school held memorial events and students have been tweeting favorite memories of Sanchez and examples of people showing kindness toward others. All in purple: Students hold hands and remember Maren Sanchez on Saturday, April 25, 2015, while listening to live music during the 'Peace Love & Music From Maren' event . 'This whole year has really changed us a lot,' he said. 'I think it's made us more aware of the importance to remember the good in people, to take a moment and put things in perspective.' The 16-year-old Connecticut student accused of killing Sanchez who turned down his offer to go to prom, told police after the attack: 'I did it,' court documents show. Christopher Plaskon has been charged with murder as an adult over the death of Maren Sanchez, a friend who was killed last year in a hallway of Jonathan Law High School in Milford.
target: The life of 16-year-old Maren Sanchez stabbed to death a year ago on the day of prom was celebrated on Saturday by hundreds of people .
  'I don't think there's anything sad about this. It's such a celebration,' said Darby Hudd, a 17-year-old friend of the slain teen .
  A classmate, Christopher Plaskon, has been charged with Sanchez's murder .