Remembering Corey Comperatore: Stories from the parade, cruise and more
Former Buffalo Township resident and firefigher Corey Comperatore will be remembered with a parade, cruise and concert Saturday July 12.
The events, which mark the one year anniversary of his death, are intended to honor the Butler County man who was shot and killed at a rally for then-candidate President Donald Trump at the Butler Farm Show grounds on July 13, 2024. He died shielding his wife, Helen, and two daughters, Allyson and Kaylee, from gunfire.
Information about the day’s happenings will be added to this page throughout the day.
The parade honoring Corey Comperatore is underway. People from Corey’s Cruise are passing out flyers and people are lining Main Street in Saxonburg.
The parade included Helen, Kaylee and Allyson Comperatore, the widow and daughters of Corey Comperatore, riding in a restored 1992 Mustang convertible.
Right now, there’s about 20 people in South Butler Community Library listening to the motivational speakers, Dr. Karen Salvaggio and Amy Giles. Salvaggio is a former race car driver with 7 championships and a former superintendent. Giles has black belts in four martial arts at MindBody Martial Arts in Springfield, Ill.
The statue of two children reading was dedicated to the South Butler Community Library by Helen, Kaylee and Allyson Comperatore.
The family spoke before the dedication.
Emcee Karin Lund introduced Helen, Kaylee and Allyson to speak about what the day means to them and unveil the statue.
Hundreds of bikers turned out today for Corey’s Cruise, which will depart from Freeport Area Middle School around 11 pm. A blessing of the bikes is underway before hand.
The cruise from Freeport to Russelton is underway, with organizers expecting more than 1,000 motorcycles to take part.
Motorcyclists arrived in Russellton a short time ago and are riding through town as the crowd waits for the musical acts to begin and more riders arrive.
The Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company has posted the following traffic alert for today.
More than 1,500 motorcycles are expected to form the procession for Corey’s Cruise, which will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 12. While a fitting memorial for a great citizen, family man and first responder, this event will impact traffic patterns in the Southeastern corner of Butler County and Northern Allegheny County for several hours.
Temporary Road Closures
For the safety of riders, spectators and other motorists, all cross intersections along the cruise route will be closed to external traffic as the procession makes its way through. This will likely take 60-90 minutes. As soon as the entire procession is through an intersection, it will reopen to normal traffic.
Emergencies
Dial 9-1-1 for all emergencies, event-related or otherwise. Local response plans are in order.
Please be Mindful of Volunteers
Local volunteers will be posted at intersections throughout the cruise route. Their role is specifically to prevent all traffic from entering the intersection as the motorcycles pass through. Motorists should not argue with, threaten or otherwise abuse public safety volunteers.
General Route:
-Start @ Freeport High School 11 a.m.
-Rt 356 N to Sarver Road E to Bear Creek Road N
-Winfield Road W to Rt 356 N
-Saxonburg-Butler Road S to Main Street Saxonburg W
-Dinnerbell W to Route 8 S to Route 228 E
-Saxonburg Boulevard S to Little Deer Creek S
-End at concert venue, Russelton
Music acts are underway here at the No OffSeason Sports complex in Russelton. While the main show starts at 7 pm when Helen Comperatore addresses the crowd, attendees are already mingling around.
There is a heavy security presence at the event, with multiple checkpoints.
Stay tuned today for more information on the parade, cruise and music planned in Comperatore’s memory.
A 9 a.m. parade honoring the former Buffalo Township resident and firefighter will start the day’s activities at Saxonburg Memorial Presbyterian Church and proceed on West Main Street toward South Butler Community Library.
When the parade ends at the library, family members will present to the library a bronze statue of a boy and a girl reading books, which was donated in Comperatore’s memory. Two motivational speakers will be presented at the library after that.
Following events in Saxonburg, the inaugural Corey’s Cruise will take place. The memorial motorcycle ride will kick off at Freeport Area High School, 625 South Pike Road, Buffalo Township, at 11 a.m. and continue to No Offseason Sports, 904 Little Deer Creek Valley Road in Russellton.
For motorcycle riders and passengers, registration begins at 7 a.m. at the high school. A blessing of the bikes will take place at 10:45 a.m. and the ride starts 11.
Several acts will fill the the afternoon and evening with music at the Russellton venue. DJ Bill Naser will take the stage at 1 p.m., followed by Krissy Jo, Ricky Lake Jr., The Noble Hops Band and The Jentz.
Gary Burk III, a Butler County country artist who wrote the song “Until We Meet Again” in memory of Comperatore and headlines the event, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Festivities are expected to wind down by 10 p.m.
