BOLTONVILLE, Wis. — One year after losing her 18-year-old son Sawyer in a motorcycle crash, a Campbellsport mother is channeling her grief into two community events to raise scholarship money in his name.
Kathee Dirmeier and Danielle Graves, the mother of Sawyer's best friend, are hosting a car show at the Boltonville Fire Department on Saturday, June 13, at 10 a.m., followed by a 5K at Campbellsport Elementary School on June 27 at 8 a.m. Both events will raise money for scholarships for students who want to study the trades or go to college.
Sawyer Dirmeier was killed one month after graduating high school when his motorcycle crashed into a pickup truck while crossing Highway V in and Auburn-Ashford Dr in Kewaskum. The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office said he was killed instantly.
Kathee said the grief is still raw, especially around this time of year.
"Yeah, it's unreal what we've been through," she said. "There is not a day that goes by without thinking of Sawyer."
What was supposed to be a graduation party last July became something different.
"Sawyer had a graduation party scheduled last July," she said. "We had to turn it into a celebration of life. So, we continued the party but flipped the narrative."
Sawyer loved hunting, fishing, and competitive running. He welded part-time and was studying at Kettle Moraine Tech to become a power lineman.
Kathee described the crash in her own words.
"Sawyer was blowing off steam on his motorcycle, speeding," she said. "And the guy just clipped right into him because he didn't see him."
Graves was the last person to see Sawyer alive. Her son, Sawyer's best friend, normally rode motorcycles with him but could not that day.
"By the third time I heard sirens," she said. "I just had a gut feeling."
Graves said Sawyer's impact on those around him is what drives the effort to honor his memory.
"He made a huge impact on my son's life," she said. "A lot of people's lives, and so to be able to continue to do that in his name is our biggest goal."
She said she believes Sawyer would have done the same for any of his friends.
Kathee said she believes Sawyer would be proud of what is being done in his name.
The car show will be held at the Boltonville Fire Department on Saturday, June 13 at 10 a.m.
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