Just like the sun's rays, Chelsea King's light shined through Saturday at Poway High School.

The strawberry blond 17-year-old was remembered during a moving public memorial that attracted more than 5,000 people at the school's football stadium. Family, close friends and teachers spoke of a magnetic, goofy young woman who "exuded confidence" and "felt no need to conform."

The young woman's sparkling spirit and tragic death gripped the nation over the past two weeks. Her body was found March 2 in a shallow grave near Lake Hodges. A registered sex offender was charged with her rape and murder.

Chelsea's parents thanked the community for its overwhelming support. They asked for their continued efforts, as they and local leaders push for stronger sex offender laws.

"It's about protecting our children from evil," Brent King, Chelsea's father, told the crowd. "Give your energy to help Chelsea's light shine brightly."

Chelsea's mother, Kelly King, said the community, along with her daughter's spirit, continues to push the family forward.

The power to go on can be difficult to find, she said.

"I will start walking, with your guiding light," Kelly King said, speaking to her daughter. "I will start running and it won't just be me. (All of the family's supporters) will be running with us. We will all cross the finish line together."

Chelsea remembered

Whether involving her friends in "an imaginary canoe trip" or zipping through a 900-page novel for the "intellectual challenge," Chelsea King inspired nearly everyone she encountered, those who knew her best said.

"Chelsea bounced into my life unexpectedly, a bit awkward and always lovable," said friend and Poway High classmate Emmeline Kim. The friend said she would get caught up in "crazy, ridiculous activities without hesitation" when she was with Chelsea, things she only dreamed of doing on her own.

Chelsea brought all of her energy and zaniness to class, sports and extracurricular activities.

Her Poway High teacher Curt Lewis recalled the "crazy pink footsie pajamas" Chelsea would wear at peer counseling retreats.

"A lovable goof. So intelligent, so caring," Lewis said of the teen.

Chelsea ran track and cross country at Poway High. She also played the French horn in the San Diego Youth Symphony.

Large banner photographs of Chelsea lined a fence at the stadium. Classmates wore her favorite color, orange, and blue for the color of her eyes. More than a dozen bus loads of people arrived early at the suburban school to ensure a seat in the bleachers.

The stadium, including about 2,000 seats on the field, was nearly full during the memorial.

The event included a very powerful moment halfway through: As a youth symphony reached the triumphant end of its song, the thousands of attendees stood spontaneously, raising the sunflowers they'd been provided, each with a blue ribbon tied to it, flickering in the breeze.

As the wind picked up, a cloud above cleared, revealing a bright splash of sunshine.

"Is it any wonder that the sun came out at just the right moment," said Pastor Harry Kuehl of the Church of Rancho Bernardo, who led the memorial. "I think Chelsea said, 'Lord, this would be a good moment.'"

The memorial also included a moment of silence for Amber Dubois. Remains of the Escondido teen were found within days of finding Chelsea's body. John Albert Gardner III, the man charged with Chelsea's murder, is a suspect in Amber's death.

Garner's criminal history has received intense scrutiny by politicians, the public and the media. His name was not mentioned at Chelsea's memorial.

Citing a recent gag order, authorities have refrained from speaking about the probe into either girl's death. San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis declined to comment about any legal proceedings. She did not speak publicly at the event and said she would deliver any message to the King family in person.

Thanks to community

Chelsea's family hopes to channel the community's outpouring of emotion into change. People can find more information about the family's push to change laws at its Facebook page, Chelsea's Light

The family held a private memorial for Chelsea on Friday.

Residents across the region participated in extensive searches near Lake Hodges for Chelsea after she vanished Feb. 25. A straight-A student and avid runner, she disappeared after going for a jog at Rancho Bernardo Community Park.

"I had no idea the depth of human compassion until this tragic event," Kelly King told the crowd. "You never stopped. You never gave up hope."

After the loss of his daughter, Brent King said he had a choice: "I could choose despair ... I could choose rage ---- I have enough of that in me to walk through the deepest parts of hell. Or I could choose hope. Because of you," he told supporters at the memorial, "I chose hope. Because of you, I will channel my rage."

Chelsea's death is the third in a string of traumatic events for the school in the past year. In December, Veronica Aguirre, 17, a senior at the school, was killed when she lost control of a vehicle she was driving on Mountain Meadow Road in rural Escondido.

Another student, Clayton Blackburn, who would have been a sophomore this year, died in his sleep last summer.

Call staff writer Chris Nichols at 760-740-5426.