Sunday afternoon was a time for barbecue, a peaceful walk and remembering Lisa Bland.

“I know she was with us today; I could feel her presence,” said Carla Ramirez, a longtime friend of Bland.

Colored balloons marked the entrance to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, where more than 200 friends and family members gathered in its basement at 1229 Vt. They ate barbecue and donated to the Lisa Ramos Bland memorial scholarship program.

On Sept. 16, 2000, Felicia “Lisa” Bland, 39, was killed in a car wreck on Kansas Highway 10 in Johnson County. She was driving home to Lawrence when she was hit by a car driven by a drunken driver.

Bland was well-known for her involvement with church and community activities. She was an employee of Golf Course Superintendents Association of America in Lawrence.

This was the second Lisa Bland scholarship fund-raiser. The first was last October when more than $3,500 was raised, organizers said. The money is to be used this year to finance college scholarships for any Douglas County high school graduate who attended St. John’s Catholic School.

Despite a steady rain, about 30 people participated in the Lisa Bland walk, which followed a path near the downtown area. They received a medallion with a butterfly on one side and the words “Faith, Family, Friends” printed on the other side.

“I was thinking about Lisa and knew she would have been laughing,” Ramirez said. “She wouldn’t have let the weather stop her.”

Hannes Combest, left, and Betsy Evans were two of the many walkers who participated in the Lisa Ramos Bland Memorial Scholarship fund-raiser. The walk and a barbecue were Sunday at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.

Sunday was a day of mixed emotions for Jim Bland, Lisa Bland’s husband.

“I’d rather not be having to do this, but since I can’t help what happened to her, at least this is a way to keep her memory alive,” Jim Bland said.

Steve Ramirez, Carla’s husband, said he thought the event could serve a dual purpose.

“I hope this draws attention to the consequences of driving and drinking,” he said.

Nearly a year after the accident that killed Lisa Bland, Sean Scott, then 16, of Shawnee, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

He was placed on five years’ probation.