Itasca 5K promotes motorcycle safety in honor of one who died

Crystal Christophe said her brother, Dan, did everything he was supposed to do.

He wore a helmet and protective gear. He followed the rules of the road, she said, as the Itasca native drove his motorcycle down a residential street.

That still wasn't enough to save 21-year-old Dan Christophe, who died April 17, 2007, just 30 minutes after a distracted car driver hit him near Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. The alumnus of St. Peter the Apostle School in Itasca and Lake Park High School in Roselle was studying at the university to become an accountant.

Stunned and grieving over her brother's senseless death, Christophe, her two remaining siblings, and the community at St. Peter organized a May fundraiser last year to honor him during Motorcycle Awareness Month, the Dash for Dan 5K. Today, registration for the second annual Dash for Dan begins at 8 a.m. at St. Peter the Apostle, 500 Cherry St. Itasca.

"It's an honor that this is being done in his memory, and it would be wonderful if we help someone else to prevent this from happening again," said Christophe.

The race is open to children and adults and will raise money for a scholarship fund at St. Peter the Apostle in Dan Christophe's name. Crystal Christophe said this year funds will benefit motorcycle awareness programs and lymphoma research, an illness that recently struck her father.

Last year's event attracted approximately 500 participants. At this year's race, a $100 prize will be awarded to the runner who crosses the finish line first; all runners will share breakfast after the event.

To keep Dan's legacy alive beyond the annual 5K, Christophe also started a cause group on the social networking site Facebook, dubbed "Save a Life: Be Aware Motorcycles are Everywhere." She thought only a few friends would join and it would be a forum for her to share motorcycle safety tips during riding season.

Instead, the group grew to more than 127,000 members internationally, and Christophe said she constantly connects with people who share her grief and her safety mission. The group also works to send out reminders on how car drivers can safely share the road with motorcyclists.

"We hear from so many people who said it was their brother, their uncle, their dad who was killed in the same way and its sort of like we started our own support group through Facebook," said Christophe. "I am grateful it has become a place for healing, sharing memories, education and, hopefully, prevention of this tragedy."

The annual Dash for Dan will accept registration from 8 to 9 a.m. today and the cost is $30 for adults and $20 for ages 14 and younger. For details, visit www.dash4dan.com.