Streator students to remember, raise money for teen who died

Streator students are walking to remember a teenager who died following a drowning emergency Friday in Leland and to raise money for his family.

Jermaine McIntyre has been identified by his family as the 14-year-old victim.

A Walk for Jermaine is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, organized by the Streator and Woodland key clubs. Participants are asked to wear blue or black and for a $5 donation. The walk will start at Streator High School, 202 W. Lincoln Ave., and proceed to the nearby Greenway Trail.

The Key Club’s planned walk comes after dozens of students collected donations on the 100 block of North Park Street, raising $7,508 to help McIntyre’s family with funeral expenses.

Crystal Delong organized the idea of having a bake sale and setting up a lemonade stand to raise money for McIntyre’s family. Students circulated the idea on SnapChat and Facebook to raise Money for his family and dozens filled the parking lot by 4 p.m. Sunday.

“They did amazing things that day,” said Hollie Henson, a mother of one of the participants.

Streator High School said social workers will be available for students from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Friday, Aug. 4, to help in dealing with the loss. McIntyre was set to begin his freshman year at the school this August.

“This weekend has been a sad one for the Bulldog family,” Streator High School said in posted announcements. “We encourage you to talk about the recent loss with your friends, your family, and whoever else gives you support.”

The La Salle County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Tuesday the death is under investigation by its agency and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. The sheriff’s office responded Friday afternoon to Hi-Tide Campground in Leland to a report an individual was drowning, according to the news release. The sheriff’s office said the teenager was taken to Valley West Hospital in Sandwich and then flown to Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. The sheriff’s office was told Saturday the boy had died.