Fundraiser goes very well for Bears fan's family

Karen Pettry just wanted to say thank you. To the Bears players who offered their support. To the anonymous fans who made donations. To everyone.

“I can’t say thank you enough,” Pettry said Saturday night during a fundraiser at John Barleycorn in Wrigleyville for her family in honor of her husband Chris.

With her children under her arms, Karen said the support has been overwhelming since Chris was murdered in a Jacksonville bar hours before his beloved Bears played the Jaguars last Sunday.

“He would be ecstatic,” Karen said. “This is what he would want right here. This is the party he would have loved to have.”

Bears tight end Kellen Davis and guard Chris Spencer were in attendance and so was former Bears fulback Jason McKie. Numerous autographed Bears items were auctioned and raffled off at the fundraiser with all proceeds benefiting the Pettry family.

Davis was a driving force behind the event with Wayne Jett of Sideline Marketing playing an organizing role.

“i don’t want them to worry about anything (financially),” said Davis, who made a $10,000 donation during the live auction. “They’ve already been through a terrible ordeal. They don’t need to be worrying about everything else.”