A benefit snowmobile ride was held Saturday to remember the life of Cory Joe Allhiser, who died in a snowmobile crash earlier this month.

“It’s somber because he’s gone but this is an event where we’re celebrating his life,” said Harlan Kruger, who helped organize the occasion. “I think everybody here is pretty happy. We’re excited to do this for Crista and his children.”

A snowmobile ride, auction and dinner were all held Saturday to remember the life of Allhiser and to raise money to help his children and family.

Allhiser, 32, died from injuries he sustained when he crashed his snowmobile near Manchester on Feb. 7.

Allhiser’s mother, Sharon Morgan, said she was overwhelmed by the turnout, and said she didn’t even know many people at the event.

“It’s a celebration of my son’s life, and we’ll remember him by this moment,” she said.

Sharon said she saw the day as a celebration of her son’s life.

“I haven’t come to terms with Cory’s death yet, but this might help,” she said. “This might help in many ways.”

The money raised during the events will go to Allhiser’s fiancé, Crista Green, and his children: Hannah, 9, and Conner, 3. Green is pregnant with Allhiser’s third child.

Derek Megraw, who helped organize the snowmobile event, said holding a snowmobile ride was a good way to remember Allhiser because snowmobiling was one of his passions.

The snowmobile ride crisscrossed about 100 miles of the Austin area. Snowmobiles started the ride around 11 a.m. at the Windrift Lounge in northeast Austin. The path took riders to Hayward, Albert Lea, Geneva and Brownsdale before ending at the American Legion in Lyle.

A live auction, silent auction and a dinner were held at the American Legion in Lyle Saturday night.

Damon Morgan, Allhiser’s step-father, described the event as a time for everyone to get together to laugh and share memories about Allhiser.

“This is great. It’s really exciting,” Damon said of the event. “It’s good closure for a lot of people.”

Kruger, Green’s uncle, said almost 150 businesses contributed to the event by giving money or donating items for the auctions.

Many area businesses donated items to the live auction, and some businesses gave cash donations. Arctic Cat donated a full snowmobile suit to be auctioned off.

“Snowmobiling was his passion, and this is how we wanted to remember him,” Kruger said.

‘It means the world to me’

Many people wore black and green T-shirts — the color of Allhiser’s Arctic Cat snowmobile — that read “In Loving Memory of Cory Joe Allhiser.”

Before the snowmobilers started the ride, Conner rode a child’s snowmobile given to him by his father for his second birthday.

Jami Allhiser, Allhiser’s sister, said she was glad the family will have the snowmobile to remember Allhiser.

“I’m so glad he did because you have this forever. Conner has it forever,” she said.

Jami’s 5-year-old daughter, Haylee, wore a special shirt that read “In Loving Memory of My Uncle” on the back at the Windrift Saturday morning.

“I think it’s amazing so many people are here in honor of my brother,” Jami said. “I didn’t know he had so many friends.”

The snowmobile ride isn’t the only way people are remembering Allhiser. According to Jami, a stranger nearby at the time of her brother’s accident painted “In Memory of Cory Joe Allhiser” on his snowmobile.

“It means the world to me,” she said of the tributes and events held in memory of her brother. “My brother meant the world to me. And to know that out of his death something like this can begin, it’s pretty cool.”

Remembering Cory

Aside from snowmobiling, Cory also loved fishing and golfing, according to Allhiser’s step-father, Damon Morgan. Allhiser also enjoyed cooking and often had friends over for dinner.

“Golf took up a lot of his time in the summer and snowmobiling in the winter,” Damon said. “He loved to snowmobile.”

While snowmobiling was one of his passions, Megraw said Allhiser turned down afternoon rides to spend time with his family.

“I know he would be willing to park it if he could have a day with his kids,” Megraw said.

While Sharon said Allhiser didn’t really like children when he was younger, Sharon said one her fondest memories of her son is how much he cared for his children.

“He really, really loved his kids, and his girlfriend, Crista. She meant the world to him,” she said.

Sharon described her son as a free spirit, and she said he always had a tool in his hand as he “loved to think he was mister fix-it.”

Future

Saturday will likely not be the last snowmobile ride in honor of Allhiser, as the organizers plan to host the event around the same time each year.

“We’re going to make it an annual event, and by doing that, we’re not going to forget Cory,” Kruger said. “We’re always going to remember him at this time of year.”

Megraw said a trust fund could be set up for Cory’s children for future events.

In future years, Sharon said she hopes the snowmobile ride will help other families affected by snowmobile accidents.

Sharon and Allhiser’s family was thankful to all the people who helped make the event possible.

In fact, Sharon said she doesn’t know some of the people who helped organize the snowmobile ride, but she said she is very grateful. Sharon said her son would be thankful too.

“I’m sure my son is,” She said. “His spirit is here, and he’s probably smiling ear to ear over in some corner.”