Marisa Marton wipes away a tear as her husband, Adam, talks about their son Andrew before the start of a memorial golf outing Friday at Palatine Hills Golf Course & Clubhouse. Andrew, 16, died earlier this year in a dirt bike accident.
Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
Marisa and Adam Marton were surrounded in a sea or red and blue Friday as they celebrated the life of their 16-year-old son, Andrew.
All proceeds from Friday's golf outing at Palatine Hills Golf Course & Clubhouse will go the AndrewStrong Foundation, a nonprofit established by Andrew's parents. Andrew was a straight-A student at Palatine High School and four-sport athlete who died after a dirt bike accident in April.
"It's very important to have family and friends here to celebrate his wonderful life," Marisa Marton said. "We are also raising funds for our foundation, where we are planning on helping kids in the community who are in need. We are looking forward to giving our first donation away very soon to somebody in need."
The fundraiser, which included a dinner, was sold out.
"He had a huge impact on the community, and a lot of people are coming together to celebrate him, because we are missing him," Marisa Marton said.
Marisa said that while Andrew indicated on his driver's license that he wanted to be an organ donor, the family had never really talked about it. His parents talked with the doctors and agreed to the donation. Five organs were donated to four individuals.
"We are definitely 100 percent so proud that we helped him follow through with his last wish," she said.
Marisa Marton gets a hug from Clay Bennett of Elgin on Friday before the start of the Andrew Marton Memorial Golf Outing at Palatine Hills Golf Course & Clubhouse in Palatine.
Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
Jill Maczko of Huntley comforts her brother Adam Marton on Friday before the start of the Andrew Marton Memorial Golf Outing at Palatine Hills Golf Course & Clubhouse in Palatine.
Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
Marisa Marton gets a hug from her son's friends Nate Elliott, left, and Malik Krech before the start of the Andrew Marton Memorial Golf Outing on Friday at Palatine Hills Golf Course & Clubhouse in Palatine.
Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
Marisa Marton and her husband, Adam, on either end of family members Jill Maczko of Huntley, center left, and Missy Minogue of Sleepy Hollow, before the start of the Andrew Marton Memorial Golf Outing at Palatine Hills Golf Course & Clubhouse Friday.
Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
Adam Marton and his son Zach take warm-up swings before teeing off on the 10th hole Friday at the Andrew Marton Memorial Golf Outing at Palatine Hills Golf Course & Clubhouse in Palatine. The photo in the foreground is of Adam Marton with Andrew and Zach.
Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
Andrew Marton
Courtesy of Marton family