Community holding fundraiser to support family of Butler County man killed in boat accident

CHICORA, Pa. — Dave Rodgers, known to many in Chicora as “Bullwinkle,” wasn’t supposed to be on Lake Erie on Tuesday, June 30. He was supposed to come home the day before, but decided to stay an extra day.

Rodgers died in a boat accident on Lake Erie that day.

“To get a phone call, there was an accident, and we didn’t know who was on that boat, but then we later found out that Dave was killed; it was just unfortunate,” said Zach Scherer, Rodgers’ cousin and founder of The Scherer Foundation.

Taking kids who fought cancer out fishing on Lake Erie was something Rodgers’ family said he loved to do.

Rodgers’ daughter, Torie, sent Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek a statement reading in part, “Helping others wasn’t something dad did once in a while—it was simply who he was. He always found a way to make things work, no matter the situation, and if someone needed help, he was the first one there. When the boat began taking on water and started sinking, everyone fought to save it. As the boat went down, dad went into the cabin to retrieve the life jackets so others would have a chance. Before he could make it back, the boat violently capsized. He gave everything he had trying to help others, just as he had done his entire life.”

Scherer knew he wanted to do something to help the Rodgers family.

“Once this happened, funerals aren’t cheap,” he said. “And whatever’s going to help the family take burden off of them, even at the financial aspect, we’re going to jump in and take care of what needs to be taken care of.”

On Friday, July 24, there will be a concert fundraiser at Scherers’ place on Rabbit Road in Chicora.

Local rock cover band “Big Bad Scary” will be playing; there will be a 50/50 raffle, food trucks and more.

It’s a $10 cover charge per person, and Scherer said all proceeds from the event will go straight to the family.

“Everybody always steps in to help. There’s never any hesitation. So, I mean, everybody around here is like family,” he said.

Rodgers’ family says they are still waiting for more answers on what went wrong that day on the boat.

“While we continue to wait for answers about exactly what happened that day, one thing has never been in question: the kind of man our dad was,” Torie Rodgers said. “He leaves behind a legacy of kindness, generosity, strength, and unconditional love. We are incredibly proud to call him our father, and we will spend the rest of our lives honoring the example he set for all of us. He will forever be our hero.”

The Scherer Foundation is still looking for businesses to help sponsor next Friday’s event. You can check out their Facebook page or call 724-290-5731 for more information.

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