Memorial ride honors West Aurora grad killed in Afghanistan
Specialist Christopher Patterson, a 2009 graduate of West Aurora High School, gave his life in service to the nation while serving with the Indiana National Guard in Afghanistan on Jan. 6, 2012.
The Chris Patterson Memorial Foundation was founded by the Patterson family. Chris had a great love of the performing arts as an actor, a singer and a musician performing with various groups.
The foundation supports the performing arts as his legacy. He had talked about wanting to get a bike when he returned home from his deployment. His father, Bob Patterson, thought that a memorial motorcycle ride would be a great way to honor his son.
The inaugural ride, with all proceeds going to the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans and the performing arts at Immanuel Lutheran School in Batavia, will be Saturday, Aug. 5.
Registration begins at 8 a.m., with kickstands up at 10:30 a.m. The ride will be traveling his last ride.
This will be an approximately 50-mile, fully police escorted ride. Traveling past the funeral home on Route 31 to Mooseheart Road (with a detour around the site of North Aurora Days) to Randall Road, where it will pass through his hometown, North Aurora, to Plum Street in Aurora, where it will pass West Aurora High School along South Commonwealth Avenue.
The West Aurora High School Blackhawk Marching Band will be playing "Roll On" as the ride passes. The ride will return to Batavia, where it will pass by Immanuel Lutheran Church on Hart Road around 11:30 a.m. before heading to River Hills Cemetery to pay respects, then returning to the Batavia Overseas VFW Post. The event will finish at 3 p.m.
Tickets also will be available at the door the day of the ride for $25 per rider and $20 per passenger. Visit chrispattersonmemorial.org.
"Chris loved the performing arts. The reason we started the foundation was so that we could support those students who participate in drama, choir and band," said Mary Patterson, chair of the Chris Patterson Memorial Foundation.
"Currently, we give $1,000 cash award to an eligible senior at West Aurora High School. We would like to expand this opportunity to the surrounding communities. This fundraiser is our first and will be a fun day for everyone."
Cars are welcome for the ride as well. Breakfast will be provided by the VFW and Vikings for all participants prior to the ride.
After the ride, Veterans Q, an award-winning barbecue, will have lunch available for purchase.
There will be raffles, including White Sox tickets, Hollywood Casino gift certificate, an autographed photo of Chicago Cub Jon Lester, 50/50 beer sales, and more. Live entertainment will be provided by Identity Crisis.
To honor SPC Patterson's legacy, the money raised at this fundraiser will be split between the Midwest Shelter for the Homeless and the performing arts at Immanuel Lutheran Church Batavia.
The foundation is proud to have received support from the Batavia VFW, Allegra Printing and Marketing in Aurora, FLIP Design and Dog Tag Brewing Foundation LLC.