5,000 People Lift Their Voices to the Sky in Memory of Late Teenager

Zach Sobiech inspired the world over with his song "Clouds," a tune depicting his battle with cancer during the last months of his life. Though the teenager passed away in May, a 5,000-person choir came together this past weekend, filling the center court of Mall of America, to perform the anthem in his memory.

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Young and old, men and women, all races stood beside one another with a pianist leading their harmony. The piece began with Zach's original recording before a multitude joined in the hymnal. "Clouds" is a folk rock song Zach released last December with his band A Firm Handshake. It became a worldwide sensation after gaining attention on YouTube, and went on to top U.S. Billboard charts.

Zach was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, at the age of 14, and died from complications when he was 18. At the time of his death, the video for "Clouds" had surpassed three million views, and to date, it has over 9 million.

The crowd performing this weekend seemed to be mixed with professional singers and those who came in support of the cause. The performance reverberated throughout the mall, as part of KS95's annual Radiothon, which raises money for kids living with cancer and disabilities. All singers wore a matching blue t-shirt, and stood around giant twinkling Christmas trees while blue and white streamers flew from the air.

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"Clouds" looks at the darkness Zach overcame to accept his fate, his journey into the sky with the help of others, and the significance in embracing the life you have.

Together, the choir sang Zach's words along with him, "And we'll go up, up, up…But I'll fly a little higher. We'll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer."

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