Dillon Adams, a local skateboarder, was the first youngster skater to skate at the Skateboard Park in Wrightwood when the park was first introduced to the community.
During a mid-morning ceremony on June 24th, the Skateboard Park was dedicated to his honor and love for skateboarding. Over 50 of his friends, family members, and locals attended the event. Pastor Terry Morrow of Hillside Church in Wrightwood spoke a prayer of dedication. He prayed for the safety of those that use the skate park, prayed to bless the community, and that the park brings joy, fun, and happiness that surpasses the grief of loss for those that pass by the park and think of Dillon.
Mrs. Tamie Keen, the General Manager of the Wrightwood Community Services District, thanked the community for allowing the park to be dedicated in memory of Dillon Adams, a beloved community member and avid Skateboarder. She thanked Chris Doran for his work pouring a concrete pad at the dedication site. She thanked Sarah Bailey with Wrightwood Metal Works for the outstanding custom-made metal signs, now mounted at the Skate Park. And Mrs. Keen also thanked the boys at the Pharmacy Board Shop and Lisa Renek from Slithers and Crawls for all their help and support. Tamie then explained that none of this could have happened without the community and local businesses. Lastly, Tamie gave a sweet thank you to her Daughter, Allie Keen, for all her love, help, and support in setting things up and pulling the dedication together. The dedication also included a representative from Supervisor Cook’s office, Christopher Porter, who presented Angela Adams, Dillon’s mother, with a plaque regarding the dedication.
Dillon passed away in 2016 at the age of 17. He was driving home from a friend’s house at about 10 pm that March evening when it is believed he swerved to avoid a skateboarder on Highway 2 and hit a tree with his vehicle; tragically, he died a few days later due to head injuries. Dillon moved to Wrightwood at just five years old with his family. He attended Wrightwood Elementary, Pinon Mesa Middle School, and Serrano High School; he then became a homeschooled student. His mother explained that Dillon passed away a hero, he swerved, missing the person on the skateboard in the road on Highway 2 that night, and he was an organ donor. His donation helped a person living in Wrightwood with an organ transplant and other people from out of the area. “Without the support and love from the community of Wrightwood, I never could have made it through that time in my family’s life. I was raising his brother and two sisters. We were devastated,” said Angela
A memorial at the location of the tragedy was created by his friends years ago in 2016 and is still affixed to a tall tree stump covered in over 50 skateboards. Next to it is a cross with Dillons’ name on it. The memorial is located near Victorville Street on the north side of the road on Highway 2 in Wrightwood.
