Chandler proclaims Sept. 23 as Preston Lord Day to honor the teen killed at a Halloween party

CHANDLER, Ariz. - The city of Chandler proclaimed Sept. 23 as Preston Lord Day.

He's the teen who was badly beaten at a Queen Creek Halloween party last year on Oct. 28 and died two days later.

The teen's life was celebrated at The Stillery in Chandler on Monday night, which also marked what would have been his 17th birthday.

A lot went into planning for the special day.

Family and friends set up a backdrop with Preston's name and picture. There were several orange balloons and orange ribbons as that was the teen's favorite color.

There was a butterfly release in his honor. The event was complete with speakers, live country music and fellowship.

Seven people have been charged in Preston's death. His loss is part of a larger movement to crack down on teen violence in the east Valley.

Since his death, the community has shown their love and support to the Lord family by participating in memorial walks, speaking out at city council meetings and wearing Preston's favorite color.

‘Thank you for loving my son'

"We are very honored and humbled at the community's outpouring of love and support for justice for Preston Lord," Melissa Lord, Preston's step-mother, said.

"Chandler has been very supportive very early on," Nick Lord, his dad, said. "They've been a pleasure to work with, and they've been there every step of the way."

Preston's mother also spoke.

"I spent the last 11 months without my son. Shocked, confused, and angry for countless reasons. I have trudged along and continue to live a new life. It doesn't feel like reality," Autumn, Preston's mother, said.

A reality that has also been tough for Preston's friends to accept. At the event, they shared Preston's best qualities.

"He's just a great friend, like if you needed to talk to him, he was there, and he would give really good advice and at the same time still be funny," a friend said.

"As his friend group grew bigger, he never forgot about his original friends that he had in elementary and I really appreciate that," another friend said.

Another one of Preston's friends said, "Preston had a unique ability to connect with everyone around him, whether it was just in the classroom or us all hanging out."

One of the butterflies that was released, as a symbol of the transformation of life, landed on Preston's mom.

"Thank you for loving my son and continuing to stand for who he was. Happy birthday, dude," she said. "I love you."

Next month will mark a year since Preston's death. A memorial ride is scheduled for Oct. 27 and more information can be found here.