PARKLAND, Fla. — Tuesday marks five years since a gunman killed 14 students and three staff members on Valentine's Day at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
It was a tragic day that devastated dozens of families and shocked countless others across the state and the country.
The memory of the 17 lives lost lives on in the charitable work their families and classmates have done, often centered around protecting students and tightening gun regulations.
Parkland school shooting: Remembering the 17 lives lost
Alyssa Alhadeff, 14
She was a soccer player and among the youngest shooting victims.
Shortly after the tragedy, the Parkland Soccer Club posted on its Facebook page that Alhadeff was a "loved and well-respected member of our club and community."
Her former teammates donned red jerseys and joined together after the shooting.
Her parents Ilan and Lori Alhadeff began their foundation, Make Our Schools Safe, in Alyssa's honor. It advocates in state legislatures for “Alyssa's Law,” which requires that teachers receive panic buttons tied directly to law enforcement.
Scott Beigel, 35
The cross country coach and geography teacher is remembered for holding open a door for students to seek shelter from the gunfire.
"If the shooter would have come into the room, I probably wouldn't be speaking to you now," student Kelsey Friend told ABC's "Good Morning America."
Beigel was shot and killed while trying to close the door.
Beigel's parents started the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund, which pays for underprivileged children touched by gun violence to attend sleep-away camp.
Martin Duque Anguiano, 14
Anguiano was born in Mexico and wanted to become a U.S. Navy Seal; he belonged to the school's Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. He loved sports and was a devoted churchgoer.
“He was a smart kid who always helped others even before himself,” his family said in a statement that was read at the shooter's trial. “His favorite movie was ‘Star Wars.’ He was basically an old soul. His family loved him in every situation and he would tell his parents that when he grew up, he would buy them a house. We miss him very much."
Nicholas Dworet, 17
The University of Indianapolis was ready for Dworet to join its swim team. Coach Jason Hite said he was an energetic student.
"He really felt like he had a family in the team, and was really excited about what we're doing up here," Hite said.
The night before the 17-year-old died, he spoke to the younger swimmers at his club to encourage them. That's why his parents, Mitch and Annika Dworet, have focused the Nicholas Dworet Memorial Fund on swimming and water safety.
Aaron Feis, 37
Feis is a hero to many students.
A 1999 graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Feis had mainly worked with the junior varsity football team.
He was shot to death while shielding students from the bullets.
In a statement read at the shooter's trial, his widow, Melissa Feis, said they met when she was 16 at a church service, and over the next two decades he “knew he could make a difference in the lives of others.”
“Aaron had a knack for putting others at ease. His presence, jovial smile and humor made him a person others sought to be around,” she wrote.
Jaime Guttenberg, 14
She was a 9th grader who loved to dance and dreamed of becoming an occupational therapist and mother.
"She always looked out for the underdog and the bullied and she probably had been kind to the (former) student who shot her," aunt Abbie Youkilis said in a written statement.
Christopher Hixon, 49
Athletic director and wrestling coach Chris Hixon died a hero — the first person who tried to stop the shooter.
The Miami Herald reports Hixon served in the Navy in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
“It is a shame that he fought in Iraq and comes back and gets killed on his home soil,” friend Dan Jacob said to the Herald.
To honor him, his family started the Chris Hixon Foundation, which gives scholarships annually to five Broward County athletes.
Luke Hoyer, 15
Good, loving, a kid who just enjoyed life: That's Hoyer.
Aunt Joan Cox said he loved basketball and "smiled all the time." She said his parents searched for their son at several hospitals before making it to the law enforcement command center, where they heard the news.
Luke was known for his dry humor and was jokingly called “the king of the one-word answer.”
“I've always liked sports as a way to help kids as a mini life lesson," Tom Hoyer said. “The fact that Luke played sports and (his mother) knew that these kids couldn't go into these programs, it seemed like a good fit and the right thing to do.”
Cara Loughran, 14
Her family said Loughran loved the beach and her cousins. She also was an Irish dancer and was set to appear in a St. Patrick's Day festival the month after her death.
“She loved the beach, she loved to surf and, most of all, she loved spending time with her family,” a statement read by a family friend at the shooter's trial said. “Losing Cara has left a crushing absence in their lives.”
Gina Montalto, 14
Always reading, studying and drawing, she was an enthusiastic Girl Scout and bright personality.
Montalto participated in the winter color guard squad at the school. Her middle school teacher said she was "the sweetest soul ever."
According to her family she either wanted to be a veterinarian or to design attractions for Walt Disney World.
Joaquin Oliver, 17
His classmates lovingly remember him as "Guac," short for "guacamole," because many people struggled with his given name. He was known for his writing and his ability to make friends.
It was Valentine's Day the day of the shooting. Oliver's friend recalled seeing him with his girlfriend, "and I was just like, 'Oh my God, you guys are so cute.'"
Oliver played soccer and ran for homecoming prince the previous year.
His parents started a foundation to challenge the political influence of the National Rifle Association and gun manufacturers.
Alaina Petty, 14
Petty was one of the first to respond to those in need after Hurricane Irma slammed into Florida. She was an active volunteer with her church and joined the school's Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.
"Her selfless service brought peace and joy to those that had lost everything during the storm," her family's statement said. "It is important to sum up all that Alaina was and meant to her family and friends.
"Alaina was a vibrant and determined young woman, loved by all who knew her."
Her parents started The WalkUp Foundation, which has worked with government, law enforcement and school officials to improve communication so potential shooters are identified.
Meadow Pollack, 18
Pollack was the baby of the family, the youngest of three children.
"She was a beautiful girl, inside and out," cousin Jake Maisner told the Sun-Sentinel.
Pollack was a good student, too, and planned on attending Lynn University in Boca Raton after graduation.
She wanted to be a lawyer and was known for her outgoing personality and her love of working out.
Helena Ramsay, 17
A cousin said Ramsay had "the brightest future." Soft-spoken, yet smart and a go-getter, she kept focused on her school work.
"Although somewhat reserved, she had a relentless motivation towards her academic studies and her soft warm demeanor brought the best out in all who knew her," relative Curtis Page Jr., wrote on Facebook.
Ramsay would have started college the following year.
Alexander Schachter, 14
Schachter picked up the trombone and baritone in middle school — and he only got better from there.
"The improvement I witnessed from him was admirable and inspiring," Band director Alexander Kaminsky told the Sun Sentinel. "I felt he really had a bright future on the trombone."
Family said he was a "sweetheart of a kid." He loved cars and planned to attend the University of Connecticut.
His family started Safe Schools for Alex, traveling the country learning the best security practices and presenting those to school districts, law enforcement and government officials.
Carmen Schentrup, 16
A straight-A student and National Merit Scholarship finalist, she planned to become a doctor who researched amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Her cousin said Schentrup wanted to go to the University of Washington to study. She hated "sweating in the humid Florida weather."
Her family started the Carmen Schentrup ALS Research Fund, also known as “Carmen's Dream," through the ALS Foundation.
Peter Wang, 15
An ROTC member, he dreamed of attending the United States Military Academy and becoming a pilot.
Wang died wearing his ROTC shirt, a cousin said. He was holding a door open so other people could escape the shooting, CBS News reports. His family wasn't surprised to hear he was seen helping others get out of the building.
"He is so brave," cousin Lin Chen said. "He is the person who is genuinely kind to everyone."
The family has started the Peter Wang Foundation, which offers a scholarship to help disadvantaged students from the local Chinese-American community and makes charitable donations to organizations Peter supported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.