“It’s just Kernich,” said Laurie Scoular, 22.
Chris Bauer, 22, said Kernich was also the kind of guy who stood up for others. “People picked on me because I’ve been big my whole life,” Bauer said. “He was always there and he had a really great heart.”
Kernich had a tattoo on the inside of his lip, the girls from Kent University said. And a few days ago, 15 of his Kent State University friends did the same.
Scoular, Katrina Polansky, Jolie Houghtaling and Natalie Capellas drove down from Kent State and were among the hundreds of people at Cadillac Jack’s on Kauffman Avenue Monday night to celebrate the life of Kernich, who died Nov. 21 after being beaten six days earlier in Kent. He was 23.
Kernich, a three-sport Fairborn High School athlete and 2005 graduate, was studying pre-business management at Kent State.
Ronald G. Kelly, 20, and Adrian A. Barker, 21 both of Akron, were arrested and charged with felonious assault. They remain in the Portage County Jail.
At Cadillac Jack’s, buckets circulated among the crowd, filling up with money to help Kernich’s family with funeral and medical costs. Most patrons had baby blue ribbons with the words “We Are With You Chris” pinned on their clothes.
Kernich’s parents, who currently are declining media interviews, seemed to be doing as much comforting as they were getting from the people who stopped them to say a kind word and give them a hug.
“They’re one of our own,” Ruth Howard said of Kernich and his family. She organized the benefit and designed the ribbons. “We want to help them anyway we can because we know they’d do the same for us.”
Katie Malone and Kernich dated their senior in high school and remained friends after they broke up and subsequently moved to Naples, Fla. She traveled back to Ohio to be by Kernich’s side before he died. “He just had an amazing personality and cared so much about other people,” she said.
Donations can be made to the Kernich We’re Behind You Fund, care of US Bank, 1 W. Main St., Fairborn, Ohio. 45324. Any businesses that would like to donate goods or services can contact Patsy Trippensee at 361-0832.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2374 or anwatson@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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