By Eric Stock
NORMAL – Illinois State University is making sure the seven people who died in a plane crash in Bloomington in April aren’t forgotten.
Athletics director Larry Lyons told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin student athletes will be wearing commemorative patches all school year.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Colleen’s interview with Lyons on WJBC.
“It’s a well-done design,” Lyons said. “Everyone who has seen it likes it.”
ISU will also hold a private dedication for the families of a permanent memorial being set up outside Redbird Arena. It’s scheduled to be completed by Sept. 12.
“To give the families a place to come that’s hopefully comforting, hopefully peaceful, hopefully accessible to try to honor a legacy,” Lyons added. “This was a significant event for this community.”
The families will also be on hand for a moment of silence before the football home opener on Sept. 12 which happens to have been the birthday of Aaron Leetch, one of the seven victims.
The seven men were from the NCAA Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis on April 7 when their plane crashed in Bloomington about two miles from Central Illinois Regional Airport. Scott Bittner, Andy Butler, Jason Jones, Aaron Leetch, Terry Stralow, Torrey Ward and pilot Tom Hileman were all killed.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
