Orono - Three fraternity brothers from the University of Maine in Orono, who were killed in a plane crash in Owls Head, were remembered on Tuesday night.

About 500 people filled the university's Hauck Auditorium for a memorial ceremony and lit a candle during the vigil that followed outside.

22-year-old David Cheney, and 24-year-olds Marcelo Rugini and William Hannigan III were killed eleven days ago when the small plane they were in clipped a pick-up truck crossing a runway at the Knox County Regional Airport.

They were all members of the Lamba Chi Alpha fraternity. We're told the Greek community on campus came together to organize this memorial.

"It is absolutely impossible to put into words how thankful we are to be a part of the Greek system at UMaine. In the past weeks, the outpouring of support from the Greek community as a whole has been truly amazing. You've proved that we are in fact a community and that none of us stand alone," said Thomas Green, a brother of Lamda Chi Alpha during his remarks at the memorial.

UMaine Vice-President of Student Affairs Robert Dana said, "It's such a tragedy to lose one student, nevermind three students, so the Greek community came together, the fraternity joined with them, and they decided that we needed a moment of real reflection, a real moment to memorialize these young men."

A photo slideshow played during the candlelight vigil.

Dana said this ceremony was a way for the entire UMaine community to begin to heal.

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