Church Street Cowboy Freedom Ride in Gibson City
GIBSON CITY, Ill. (WCIA) — The second annual Church Street Cowboy Freedom Ride in Gibson City is happening Saturday to remember a familiar face gone too soon.
WCIA's partners with the Ford County Chronicle reported that for a number of years, Colin Kristensen would roam the streets of Gibson City, easily identified by his signature cowboy hat and flowing, dark hair. Kristensen was nicknamed the 'Church Street Cowboy' because of the hat and boots he was rarely seen without, and that he grew up on Church Street.
Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park & Memorial holding scavenger hunt
On May 30, 2023, 17-year-old Kristensen was killed in a single-vehicle accident just outside of town while driving his favorite country roads and listening to music before having to go to work at Ace Hardware.
A little over a year later on June 21, 2024, the inaugural Church Street Cowboy Freedom Ride took place in his memory. Colin's father Jay said that his son not only had a strong faith, but a great love of the country and the military as well.
'When he was young, Colin was that little kid that would see that older fellow walking through the store or down the street, with some form-over hat showing they had served, and go shake his hand and thank them for their service,' Jay said.
Colin's family decided to donate all profits from the freedom ride to benefit veterans in his honor. Last year, the ride raised enough to cover half the cost of a tracked, all-terrain 'wheelchair' for the Fallen Outdoors organization for use with disabled veterans for various outdoor activities.
U of I hosting STEM academic boot camp for student veterans
This year, an additional beneficiary has been added: Mission K9 Warrior, which trains and supplies service dogs to those suffering from PTSD to help battle the '22-a-day' epidemic of veteran suicide.
'Three of Colin's classmates and himself were all talking with Marine recruiters throughout their senior year of high school with their ambitions set on shipping out to basic training the summer after graduation,' Jay said. 'His three friends are now all active-duty Marines, and no doubt there would likely be a fourth if circumstances were different.'
This year's event is taking place on June 21 and is open to all vehicle types, with registration being $20. The event is beginning at Mark's on First at 120 E 1st Street in Gibson City and then travel to Mansfield, Sadorus and Fisher and back to the starting point for an evening of free concerts.
The Josh Holland Band out of Decatur will be the opening act, followed by Nashville recording artists Cody Parks and Dirty South. More information on the event can be found on the Church Street Cowboy Freedom Ride Facebook page.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Black America Web
4 days ago
- Black America Web
Texas Man Sues Former Employer Over Alleged Racist Prank On Juneteenth
Source: Christopher Murray / EyeEm / Getty A man in Arlington, Texas, filed a lawsuit this week alleging the manager at the hardware store where he formerly worked hung up a racist display on Juneteenth. According to CBS News, when Devondrick Hartsfield arrived at work at Van Marcke's Ace Hardware on Juneteenth in 2023, he was told to follow a manager into the back. When they got to the back area, the manager allegedly told Hartsfield to look up. When he did, he saw a black backpack hanging from a noose. 'I took it as a Black man being hung, dismembered. The bag to me looked to me like a Black man who was hung and dismembered,' Hartsfield told CBS. The manager's explanation was that it wasn't a racist prank, but one targeted at the employee who left their backpack at work, but Hartsfield wasn't buying it. 'I think it was a message,' he told CBS. 'I don't think it was a misunderstanding. It was a message. It happened on Juneteenth, and it was a black monster backpack at that. So I feel like it was a message.' Hartsfield said he was the only Black employee at the hardware store and had only been working there for four months as a delivery driver. He told the company that he would refuse to return to work unless an investigation was launched and someone was held accountable for the racist prank. Hartsfield's lawsuit states that an investigation was never launched and that he was fired two weeks after filing a complaint with human resources. This allegedly occurred despite a statement released by the hardware store in 2023 saying an investigation would be launched. 'Van Marcke's Ace Hardware would like to assure you and the entire community that any allegations of racism; or any discrimination is being thoroughly investigated and addressed with the utmost urgency. We take such incidents seriously and are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for both our employees and customers,' the statement read. Hartsfield has said Juneteenth has become 'a painful reminder' of the incident. 'Instead of a celebration, it's actually a reminder of someone traumatizing me for the rest of my life.' Hartsfield's lawsuit is seeking at least $1 million in damages for the alleged mental anguish and loss of earnings. The noose has long been a symbol of America's sordid history of lynching and has become racists' favorite way to showcase that they don't get down with Black people. In 2019, charges were filed against four Florida firefighters after a hangman's noose was placed in the workspace of a Black firefighter. In 2020, a white man in Michigan went on a tirade and threatened to kill several Black people with a noose. Even more concerningly, there's been an uptick in incidents involving Black people being hanged from trees. Javion Magee was found hanging from a tree in North Carolina last year. Investigators said that he bought the rope himself and committed suicide, though his family is doubtful that was the case. Trevonte Jamal Shubert-Helton was found hanging from a tree in Georgia last year, and once more, investigators were quick to label it a suicide despite Georgia having a sordid history of lynching. Only a couple of weeks ago, a Black man was found hanging from a tree in Albany, N.Y. While the official line on all these cases was that they were suicides, America's history of lynching Black bodies makes it hard to take them at face value. What makes Hartsfield's case more disheartening is that Juneteenth specifically marks the day when news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally made its way to Galveston, Texas. In a state where Juneteenth holds such a special significance, the employees should've known better than to even consider putting up a noose given what it historically represents. 'Cause at the end of the day, if the prank was really about the backpack, they could've hidden it, not hung it. SEE ALSO: Racist Imprisoned For Noose Threats Lawyers Compare Javion Magee Hanging To Emmett Till SEE ALSO Texas Man Sues Former Employer Over Alleged Racist Prank On Juneteenth was originally published on
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Church Street Cowboy Freedom Ride in Gibson City
GIBSON CITY, Ill. (WCIA) — The second annual Church Street Cowboy Freedom Ride in Gibson City is happening Saturday to remember a familiar face gone too soon. WCIA's partners with the Ford County Chronicle reported that for a number of years, Colin Kristensen would roam the streets of Gibson City, easily identified by his signature cowboy hat and flowing, dark hair. Kristensen was nicknamed the 'Church Street Cowboy' because of the hat and boots he was rarely seen without, and that he grew up on Church Street. Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park & Memorial holding scavenger hunt On May 30, 2023, 17-year-old Kristensen was killed in a single-vehicle accident just outside of town while driving his favorite country roads and listening to music before having to go to work at Ace Hardware. A little over a year later on June 21, 2024, the inaugural Church Street Cowboy Freedom Ride took place in his memory. Colin's father Jay said that his son not only had a strong faith, but a great love of the country and the military as well. 'When he was young, Colin was that little kid that would see that older fellow walking through the store or down the street, with some form-over hat showing they had served, and go shake his hand and thank them for their service,' Jay said. Colin's family decided to donate all profits from the freedom ride to benefit veterans in his honor. Last year, the ride raised enough to cover half the cost of a tracked, all-terrain 'wheelchair' for the Fallen Outdoors organization for use with disabled veterans for various outdoor activities. U of I hosting STEM academic boot camp for student veterans This year, an additional beneficiary has been added: Mission K9 Warrior, which trains and supplies service dogs to those suffering from PTSD to help battle the '22-a-day' epidemic of veteran suicide. 'Three of Colin's classmates and himself were all talking with Marine recruiters throughout their senior year of high school with their ambitions set on shipping out to basic training the summer after graduation,' Jay said. 'His three friends are now all active-duty Marines, and no doubt there would likely be a fourth if circumstances were different.' This year's event is taking place on June 21 and is open to all vehicle types, with registration being $20. The event is beginning at Mark's on First at 120 E 1st Street in Gibson City and then travel to Mansfield, Sadorus and Fisher and back to the starting point for an evening of free concerts. The Josh Holland Band out of Decatur will be the opening act, followed by Nashville recording artists Cody Parks and Dirty South. More information on the event can be found on the Church Street Cowboy Freedom Ride Facebook page. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
One dead, two hospitalized in Decatur crash
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — A 68-year-old Decatur man was pronounced deceased following the serious injuries he sustained in a two-vehicle accident Friday afternoon. At approximately 3:11 p.m. on June 13, Decatur Police Officers were called to the intersection of W Rock Springs Road and Westgate Drive in reference to a crash involving two vehicles. The initial investigation revealed a Chrysler PT Cruiser was sitting in the eastbound lane of W Rock Springs Road facing westbound. Decatur man gets 8 years in prison for distributing child pornography The PT Cruiser abruptly turned right, across the westbound lane and toward a driveway on the north side of W Rock Springs Road. A Chevrolet 1500 truck was traveling westbound on W Rock Springs Road and collided with the passenger's side of the PT Cruiser. The driver of the Chevrolet 1500 was an 18-year-old male and Decatur resident, while the passenger was a juvenile male from Decatur. Both occupants of this vehicle were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the PT Cruiser was a 68-year-old male and Decatur resident. He sustained serious injuries in the crash and was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased a short time later. Additionally, there were no indications that the driver of the Chevrolet 1500 was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Members of the Fatal Accident Investigation Team responded to the scene and are actively investigating the crash. There is no further information available at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
