CHARLESTON, Ill. (WCIA) — Coles County fairgoers and board members gathered in Charleston on Wednesday for a prayer of support for five-year-old Harper Finn.

Finn was seriously hurt earlier this week when a starting gate swung into the stands during the harness horse racing event at the Effingham County Fair. Community members in Charleston wore pink, Harper’s favorite color, and said a quick prayer for her recovery.

Coles County Fair race superintendent Clark Fairley knows the family personally and hopes their small gesture of prayer can help her family get through this.

“The horse racing community is pretty tight-knit,” Fairley said. “We compete against each other, but we know each other, and we watch each other’s kids grow up.” 

Community member Nancy Ralston said her family also works closely with the Finn family. She said she couldn’t believe it. 

“It’s just a horrible thing,” Ralston said. “It could’ve happened to us even. We’ve thought about that, and it easily could’ve happened to us or any of the other families.”

She said actions like this prayer let the Finn family know that everyone is thinking of them and her 10-year-old granddaughter Kaycie Ralston agrees.

“Everyone’s thinking about you and hoping she gets better,” Kaycie said.

No updates have been made on Finn’s condition and the Effingham County Sheriff’s office is still investigating the incident.