CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- Charlotte Ray remembers the day someone from UNC Hospital called her about raising one million dollars in her son's name.
She remembers it so well, because it gave her some hope on what she says describes as one of her darkest days.
"I just went through the motions of living because he was gone. Our whole life was gone," said Ray.
In March of 2007, Ray received news she never thought she would get. Her son was brain dead.
At the time, Jason Ray was a student and mascot for the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
"He wanted to go to Chapel Hill and that was the only college he wanted to go to," Charlotte said.
Jason was in New Jersey for the NCAA Tournament when he was walking alongside a busy roadway and was hit by an SUV. When the doctors confirmed he was brain dead, Ray remembered a conversation she had with her son when he was just 16 years old. Jason had just gotten his driver's license and signed up to be an organ donor.
She said he told her, "If something should happen to me and you can't save me don't bury me with anything, where I'm going, Mother, I'm not going to need them."
"In my mind I thought 'Jason I'll be long gone before something happens to you and I don't care what you do then,'" said Charlotte, never imagining she would ever revisit this conversation.
Jason's organs went on to save the lives of four people who still keep in touch with the Ray family to this day.
"God had handpicked them because you couldn't have met a nicer four people," Charlotte said.
Moved by the actions of the former Tarheel mascot, UNC Hospital wanted to create something to honor him and his work to help other people. They reached out to Charlotte with their quest to name a building after Jason and raise one million dollars for UNC Hospital's Comprehensive Transplant Center. It was a job Charlotte said she could not turn down.
"That will give us a purpose in life now that Jason's gone."
The money will be used to help patients with whatever help they need, at the hospital and at home.
By the time Jason was 21 years old, he had been on three mission trips. He lived to help others, so his mother says this foundation is the legacy he leaves behind. It's one she hopes will also keep his memory alive, "I just hope he's never forgotten."
Sunday, the Jason Ray Foundation hosted its annual dinner and live auction. On Monday it will host its annual golf tournament to raise money toward that one million dollar goal. The fundraiser is now in its seventh year and to date has raised more than $350,000.
If you would like to donate you can for more information here.