Kellen Davis of the Chicago Bears are hosting a fundraiser this Saturday at John Barleycorn-Wrigleyville  to benefit the family of Chris Pettry, the Bears fan senselessly slain last weekend while in Jacksonville for the Bears vs Jaguars game.  He’s got former teammates Jason McKie, whose son plays in the same park district league as Pettry’s son, and Tommie Harris already committed to participate in the event.  As an aside, Tommie Harris + Wrigleyville = trouble.  If you go to the event and meet Tommie, make sure to wash your hands before grabbing an hors d’oeuvres.

Davis and his agent, Wayne Jett, are hosting a fundraiser for the family Saturday at John Barleycorn-Wrigleyville in Chicago. Bears memorabilia and other items will be auctioned off to help raise funds to assist Pettry’s wife, Karen, and her three children. Pettry was the sole financial provider for his family at the time of his death.

In addition to Saturday’s event, Davis and his camp also set up a webpage where donations can be made.

“My heart goes out to the Pettry family that lost their loved one over a senseless act,” Davis said. “I wanted to show my support when I heard about this, so I started a donation page and am participating in a fundraiser that my team helped put together.”

As I said earlier this week, this hits home for me as a Bears fan who goes on an annual road trip to see the team.  I know that times are tough, but if you can, dig between the couch cushions and try to make a donation.  Pettry is survived by wife Karen and three young children.

Amid all the hoopla of an impressive Bears victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, I’d like to take a moment to recognize a fallen brother in Beardom, Chris Pettry of suburban Lake Villa, Illinois.  He went down in Jacksonville but never made it to the Bears game as he was fatally stabbed early Sunday morning just a block from the team hotel where he happened to be staying.

Pettry had left on a flight from Milwaukee Friday to attend the Bears game in Jacksonville and was excited to be making the trip with his best friend, according to his cousin, Quincy Asbury Jr.

Pettry was an avid Bears fan who was too busy working at his construction and remodeling company and helping raise his three children to find time to go to games in Chicago, Asbury said. Pettry’s stepfather recently died and Asbury last saw his-first cousin at the man’s wake.

“He was such a huge Bears fan. . .He never got to go to the Bears game, he never got to enjoy it,” said Asbury, who can’t understand how anyone would want to hurt him. “He was always the guy that made you laugh.”

The attack occurred around 12:30 a.m. Sunday at Fionn MacCool’s Irish Restaurant & Pub, an upscale restaurant about a block from the hotel where Pettry was staying — the same hotel where the Bears team was also staying.

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