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UNC mascot Jason Ray died 10 years ago, but his parents assure his spirit lives on

Ten years ago, the phone call that every parent dreads rang in the house Charlotte and Emmitt Ray.

Their son Jason Ray – a charismatic senior at the University of North Carolina who had played Rameses, the Tar Heels mascot, for three years at UNC sporting events – had been struck by a car in New Jersey.

Jason had been walking along the shoulder of a highway, on his way to buy a burrito and soda at a nearby convenience store before donning the Rameses costume again for UNC for a 2007 NCAA men’s basketball tournament game.