CHICORA — Thirty-three purple lanterns set sail from Kim Buck’s driveway Friday night.

It’s not exactly the senior night celebration she’d always envisioned for her son Briggs. Instead, it was a heart-wrenching and beautiful tribute and stunning memorial by 128 friends and family.

Briggs R. Buck was 16 when he died in an ATV crash Feb. 27, 2015. He’s remembered as a good spirited teen who loved to hunt, gather with his buddies and participate in the Weightlifting Club and play running back for the football team.

“This was a way to keep him a part of the football team every Friday night,” Elyse (Williams) Kaufman said of her dedication to releasing at least one lantern every Friday night that the Karns City Gremlins take the football field. For nearly a lifetime, Kaufman and her family were neighbors to the Bucks. Cullen Williams, Kaufman’s brother, is the same age as Briggs, was one of Briggs’ best friends and was a teammate on the football team. The two families live on opposite sides of a creek. “The two boys used to run back and forth all the time growing up,” said Kim Buck, “They were more like brothers.”

On this occasion, the two families decided to keep the tradition at home but invite Brigg’s friends. A flyer went out inviting anyone who was interested. The goal was to get all 33 lanterns in the air at one time, the same number as his jersey.