Aaron’s memorial date changed to Sun 1/17/21
Dear friends,
Due to likely inclement weather on Saturday, January 16, Aaron’s “go-by” memorial date has been changed to the following day, Sunday, January 17. The weather should be dry and not too cold that day.
The Boston-area “go-by” memorial is planned for Sunday, January 17, 2021.
Meet in the Star Market parking lot at 75 Spring Street, West Roxbury at 11:45am for a noon departure. Bicycles are enthusiastically encouraged, but all modes of transportation are welcome. Enter the main parking lot driveway for the Star Market store and make the first right turn possible. We will be gathering in the parking spaces right behind the bus stop shelter. We can be socially distant and use our outside voices to celebrate seeing the lovely people representing various realms of Aaron’s world who come together for this event.
The route can range from 1 stop to 3 stops across 3 miles, highlighting places where Aaron and his loved ones shared many memories in West Roxbury. Bikers, please note that the route is mostly flat, but it is city riding without many dedicated bike lanes.
Stop 1 – The Home
Aaron’s family’s home is steps away from the starting point so those on foot or on wheels can silently go by the house with any visual they’d like Aaron’s loved ones to see from their porch. The roll out time is noon. Those choosing to return to Star Market can do so.
Stop 2 – The Gym
Aaron coupled all his biking with sustained engagement with the amazing community of people at CrossFit Boston Iron & Grit (https://crossfitbostonirongrit.com/). The owners are honoring Aaron with photos of him on their window for go-by participants to see on the day of the event. They are also dedicating a workout to Aaron based on the goals he set for 2020. For cars, the address of 1230 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA 02132 will help a GPS unit get you there. The crew on bike or foot can take a shorter route of 0.4 miles to 85 Gardner St, West Roxbury, MA 02132, where there’s an alley to the right that leads to the gym. The group can once again use outside voices to marvel at how much weight Aaron could lift.
Between Stops 2 and 3
People can easily return to Star Market after Stop 2. Those going on to stop 3 will be going by (but not stopping at) two places of interest. The first is Roxbury Latin School. This school, which graduated one of Aaron’s Olin College colleagues, hosts a giant rummage sale every year where Aaron would excitedly shop for tools and stools. The second is Park Street, where Aaron started his annual trick-or-treat tradition with family and friends in the part of town where they give out full-size candy bars and pour beer and wine for parents out with their kids.
Stop 3 – The go-to take-out
Los Amigos Taqueria is on 1743 Centre Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132 (https://www.amigosburritos.com/menu-west-roxbury). It’s where you’d stand a pretty good chance of catching Aaron strolling up to pick-up a take-out order full of family favorites on a weekend. Because Aaron was such a regular, he did not need to announce his name upon arrival, the cashier would hand him his bag in an efficient wordless exchange that exuded mutual respect. When having friends over, Aaron was quick to offer bringing in a delightful meal from this neighborhood gem that translates from Spanish to English as “the friends.” Note that it is not easy to park a car near this establishment. If you’re hungry by the time this stop rolls around, feel free to order up something tasty to take with you. Aaron usually ordered an al pastor quesadilla with pinto beans, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, and no rice or lettuce. He always ordered the quesadilla instead of the burrito because they grill the tortilla when you order a quesadilla (vs. steaming the tortilla when you order a burrito).
We will conclude the go-by back at Star Market, having honored our dear Aaron in a way that would have made him smile.
We hope to see you Sunday. Please share this date change widely on social media and with your networks. Thank you for all your love for Aaron and support for his family.