Sept. 23 is Preston Lord Day in Chandler, and a downtown venue will be a gathering place to celebrate the slain teen on what would have been his 19th birthday.
The event, which will feature speakers, resource-providing nonprofits and raffle prizes, will take place 5 to 8 p.m. at The Stillery restaurant and bar, located at Arizona Avenue and Essex Street. Attendees are encouraged to wear orange, which was Lord's favorite color.
"We will join in unity to celebrate the life of Preston and how he has ignited a need to bring awareness to youth violence," read a statement on the event page.
The raffle will benefit Justice4PrestonLord, a nonprofit founded after the 16-year-old McCombs High School basketball player died following an Oct. 28, 2023, beating
at a Halloween house party in Queen Creek.
Lord's death two days later brought attention to the issue of teen violence in the southeast Valley. Police say his attackers were the "Gilbert Goons," a group of teenagers who had carried assaults throughout the region.
A December 2023 investigation by The Arizona Republic tied Lord's death to the Goons, prompting police to reopen beating cases and start new ones.
Treston Billey, William "Owen" Hines, Jacob Meisner, Talan Renner, Taylor Sherman, Dominic Turner and Talyn Vigil were arrested in March 2024 and charged in connection with Lord's murder. Hines, who was a minor when the attack happened, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years in prison in May 2025. The others have pleaded not guilty, and their trials remain pending.
Vigil, 20, recently had his driving privileges revoked after a reckless driving arrest in Tempe, his third arrest since bonding out of jail in 2024.
This is at least the second time Preston has been commemorated at The Stillery. A vigil in his memory is also planned for Oct. 28 in Queen Creek.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Chandler's Preston Lord Day celebrates slain boy's legacy
