Fundraiser for a friend
By far the saddest story I have covered in my 26 years at The Buffalo News is the death of snowboarder Aaron Shoemaker in an on-snow accident in 2004. The 23-year-old was performing with a pro team in Italy.
The charismatic East Aurora native was a people magnet, and he left behind an unusual
number of devoted friends. Those friends have been working to set up a scholarship in his name
to help an Erie County resident attend SUNY-Plattsburgh, his alma mater.
To that end, they are holding a fund-raiser Saturday at Kissing Bridge, where Aaron and his
brothers and friends spent so many hours flying through the terrain park.
For event details, click here.
Make sure to scroll down to the photo of the 33-foot roller coaster box that has been installed just for this event. Also, watch the video to see just how talented Aaron was. This is a great way to honor an old friend.
-- Fletcher Doyle
