The Mount Vernon community gathered on Saturday for Kayla Green’s funeral.

The 16-year-old high school cheerleader was stabbed to death in Mount Vernon on April 8 after a parade was held to celebrate the boys' basketball team state championship. According to police, Green got into an argument with a 15-year-old cheerleader from a different team, who then attacked her and her friend. Green died on her way to the hospital.

"We can't allow Kayla, the hurt and the pain to be in vain,” said Richard Thomas, former mayor of Mount Vernon inside Macedonia Baptist Church. "We must confront bullying in school, at work, at home."

"We always tell our young people, do well in school. Become involved and engaged, pick good friends, do the right thing," added Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. "Kayla did each and every one of those things. An A student, an honor roll student, junior varsity captain, a graduate of the Mount Vernon youth police academy, involved in the youth bureau, a loving daughter, a role model as a sister."

Mount Vernon High School also paid tribute to Kayla on Friday with a virtual presentation of tributes, poems, photographs and a video of students doing a dance step their beloved classmate was known for.

"All I can say is, Kayla would not want us to be sad and cry, she would want us to dance, she would want us to all stay happy and learn from her situation." said her fellow classmate Breana Dorsey.

Green's cheerleading coaches too feeling her loss, saying "Kayla, we love you. We're always going to miss you and we're just always going to carry your spirit wherever we go."

  A GoFundMe page was set up to take care of the funeral costs.