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Strangers flock to Port Clinton to remember Harley Dilly

From 30 minutes away to three hours away, people from far and wide came to pay respects to Harley Dilly and his family Saturday.

PORT CLINTON, Ohio — People from Port Clinton were not the only ones who came out to remember Harley Dilly on Saturday.

The 14-year-old teen's story has touched countless people across the region and the country, inspiring complete strangers to travel out to his memorial service.

It was a solemn atmosphere at both the public viewing at Gerner-Wolf-Walker funeral home and the community luncheon at St. John's Lutheran Church.

Port Clinton neighbors were joined by people from all over who came to honor Harley in their own ways. 

Mary White grew up in Port Clinton but has been following Harley's story from nearby Clyde, Ohio. She decided to make the 30-minute trip up to her former hometown to help support the Dilly family with her unique companion Kiyah, a squirrel monkey.

"I came up here so if people want to take pictures of the monkey," she said, "they can and we're having them give donations that go to the new Harley foundations."

A Pennsylvania family made a three-hour trip all the way from just outside Pittsburgh to pay their respects to Harley and his family. The Partridge family, which lives in North Strabane township, went through a different ordeal four years ago with their 12 year-old daughter Savannah. 

She conquered a rare form of cancer called osteosarcoma after 29 rounds of chemotherapy treatment and unique, never-before-done surgeries. And from that ordeal, she wanted to help other people.

"We started a thing where she does a lemonade stand," Savannah's father, Bill said, "and we use this money, we donate to charities and different organizations."

Savannah said she was so inspired by Harley that she decided to donate this year's efforts to the new scholarship fund for him, Harley's Project 236. The Partridge family got the chance to break that news to Harley's parents at the viewing Saturday and they say they were grateful.

"They were very excited about it," Bill said. "So we're working with people in this area and we're going do this lemonade stand, probably do several of them throughout the year, and all this money is going to help go toward that, help keep Harley's memory alive."

Marc Wolfe with Harley's Project 236 said they raised $4,725 from sales of sweatshirts, t-shirts and donations at the luncheon Saturday. That did not include online donations. 

If you missed the memorial on Saturday but still want to get together with others to remember Harley, on Sunday there will be a candlelight vigil. 

You can also make a donation to the scholarship fund at paypal.me/heartsforharley

The vigil will start at 11 a.m. and will take place at the Port Clinton Police Department at 1860 E. Perry St. in Port Clinton.

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