Scholarship fund will memorialize Orland Park man who loved music

• Reprints

A fundraiser for scholarships in the memory of Christopher Szmajlo, of Orland Park, will be held. His body was recovered from Lake Michigan in July after it was reported he fell off a boat near Navy Pier after a fireworks show. | Supplied photo

Updated: February 4, 2012 11:33AM

Chris Szmajlo loved music and art.

His interests included writing, singing, playing guitar, reading, movies and working out, according to his YouTube profile.

The Orland Park resident was especially interested in acoustic music and was influenced by “everything from rock to folk and blues to club songs lol ... i love alllll music!!” his profile said.

Szmajlo went missing on Lake Michigan on July 4. His body was recovered the following morning near Navy Pier. Authorities believe he fell off a boat near the pier after a fireworks show.

Szmajlo, 29, had been on a sailboat, and as the boat approached the dock, someone took a head count and noticed he was missing. People on deck thought he may have been below deck, and the people below deck thought he was above.

Nearly six months later, the pain still runs deep for family members.

“This is a truly devastating and heart-wrenching loss for us,” said Renee Szmajlo, Chris’s sister.

Szmajlo’s family has decided that the best way to honor his memory is to set up a scholarship fund in his name.

Scholarships will be awarded to qualified students at Oak Lawn Community High School and Richards High School in Oak Lawn and Andrew High School in Tinley Park so they can further their education and passion of music and art.

To fund the scholarship, the Chris Szmajlo Music Scholarship Benefit, “Livin’ the Dream,” will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at 115 Bourbon Street, 3359 W. 115th St., Merrionette Park.

Tickets are $30 in advance, or $40 at the door, and $10 for children 7 to 12 years old. Children 6 and under are free.

The event will include a buffet meal, desserts, beer, wine and soda. Raffles, a silent auction and a split-the-pot will be held throughout the event.

For information, contact Renee Szmajlo at (708) 307-8666 or visit www.cszmajlomusicfund.com or the Chris Szmajlo memorial page on Facebook.

Monetary donations can be sent to the Chris Szmajlo Music Scholarship, 8062 Pickens Drive, Orland Park, IL 60462. Donations may also be made via the PayPal link on the benefit website.