Friends of man killed in motorcycle crash in Fond du Lac gather for car-bike meet in memoriam, raise money for family
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV) – in Fond du Lac on March 28 is being honored by his friends, who are also raising money to cover expenses.
Eli Sowin was riding his motorcycle on March 28 when a vehicle struck him, resulting in life-threatening injuries, which he unfortunately succumbed to at St. Agnes Hospital that night. The driver who hit him faces charges for allegedly causing the crash on purpose.
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On Saturday, Eli's friends hosted a car and bike meet in memory of him from 1 to 8 p.m. along Howard Litscher Drive in Fond du Lac, paying homage to their late friend.
In addition, the group sold memorial stickers, with proceeds going to help the family with expenses.
Eli's friends Kierra Ramthun and Emilie Campagna were among the leaders of planning the event, and said the idea for the meet came from Eli's love of cars and bikes.
'He's had so many,' Emilie said. 'Eli is the kindest person you've ever met, and brightest soul. He'd sell a car part and make a friend.'
Countless people and groups showed up to pay their respect and show their appreciation for the late Eli Sowin, as he made an impact on the community he lived in. Hailing from Eden, many knew him through his part in the car and bike community.
'If you were having the worst day ever, he would just give you the best advice and smile and you'd no longer be sad,' Kierra said.
Amidst an unimaginable tragedy, Eli Sowin's friends and people from all over Wisconsin spent their Saturday keeping his memory alive by paying homage and celebrating his life.
'This event is overwhelming with joy; his family is so overwhelmed because they see how much people loved Eli and what he meant,' Emilie said.
Kierra and Emilie said they originally got 50 brats, 50 burgers and a bunch of chips to plan, but when they posted it on Facebook, they realized they needed to get more stuff. Fortunately, multiple businesses helped pitch in, from Johnsonville to Red Bull and some trucking companies.
'People were reaching out left and right asking, 'how can we help, what can we bring, what can we do?'' Emilie said. 'This is so much bigger than we expected, we're appreciative of everybody who has shown up.'
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Emilie added that people from all over Wisconsin showed up, from Green Bay to Milwaukee, to even a friend of Eli's from Texas who flew in. It's exactly what Eli and his family would have wanted, both Emilie and Kierra said.
'He wanted everybody to come together and enjoy each other's company and time,' Kierra said. 'He's up there smiling ear to ear.'
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