LITTLE CHUTE, Wis. — Nicole Schuh and her fellow organizers wanted to make sure each detail was just right.
A guest book was laid out on a table and photos were taped to stands to ensure they wouldn’t fall in the wind.
It was part of a celebration of the life of Charlie Knuth and the people surrounding him who supported the family for years.
“This is a chance for the Knuths to give back to the community,” Schuh said. “They really want to say, ‘thank you.’”
Knuth battled a rare skin disease that lead to frequent blistering, intense pain and infections. He underwent numerous medical procedures — all with the help and support of the immediate community.
Knuth died earlier this year at 17.
“We’re approaching it as a celebration,” Schuh said about The Celebration of Community. “Obviously, we’re sad that Charlie passed, but his life brought the community together and brought so much joy to people, so much comfort, so much inspiration.”
Knuth touched people. One such person is Andy Monday, a race car driver who met Charlie through fundraising efforts at the Darboy Corner Store.
“It was a great opportunity to try to give back to someone who has experienced so much hardship in their life,” he said. “Just to see the fight he put on with all the odds stacked against him was pretty strong.”
When asked about Knuth, Monday talked about grit.
“Just how he was so grateful for everybody in the community to come together and support him. Just the impact he had on everyone else, knowing we were all rooting for him and pushing for him,” he said. “The term superhero comes to mind for the community. He fought the hardest fight there is, and he just kept on trucking.”
Organizers and community members say the celebration brought mixed feelings of happiness and loss.
“He was just so much a part of this community and now he’s gone and it leaves a little bit of a hole there,” Schuh said. “It’s a little difficult to grasp yet.”
