Lighting The Beacon

Have you ever felt like you could be doing more in the world or just your community? Maybe you saw Skyline on Tiktok and thought that could be me or you saw the movie Kick-Ass and said that'd be cool, but what inspired me? Well that's a story.

In March of 2017 I ended up in a bad situation. It was finals during highschool and I didn't have to take any tests that day so I went to hang out with a few friends. We decided we were going to check out this four-story barn on the end of town. The place was cool had old cars in it, bunch of old bank papers, a safe no one could get into, and we just hung out there for hours. I wish that's where I could end it, but that's not this story. We learned there was a bunch of oil on the stairs so we avoided them, but one of the people I was with was upstairs by himself playing with matches. He said he thought he put them all out, but he didn't. The whole building was engulfed in flames within minutes with us inside. 

We rushed out and made it back to the school hoping no one saw us. Well I got charged with just being there so I got two years of probation a $10,000 fine and a sealed case since I was a minor.

After that and growing up with a family of drunks and criminals I wanted to do good for my family name so I became "NightLight" someone who would go around stopping crime in my little town of 3,000 people. I was a 16 year old idiot. Here's a picture:

I then took a year break and went to military school where I learned self defense and graduated a year early and when I came back I became I was kicked out 17. Living in my car at 18 I found my way to Champaign County and that's where I became"The Beacon".

Being homeless and sleeping in my car is what made me create "The Illuminated Life Foundation" in September of 2019.

2020 was a big year for me. I married Bandetta, my first child was born, I upgraded the suit, and I made the news for an event my foundation hosted called "Clothes The Door" where I collected 23 thirty gallon bags of clothes to donate to the unhoused.

Early 2020

Complete suit without shield

In 2021 I moved back to Champaign and was still patrolling. I even had a friend who went along with me. The Champaign patrols were great cause I'd buy a bunch of burgers and hand them out or help pay for people's phone cards. I'd push carts back across the city and clean up trash. It's also where I learned the important lesson of observe and report, don't interfere unless it's 100% necessary. Because you can try to stop a drug deal and maybe your shield can block one punch, but when they use your shield to bash you in the face, you learn a valuable lesson.

 I miss living in the city sometimes, but after all these years I'm finally settled just me and the kids.

In 2022 my storage unit was broken into and robbed, they took my sons bed, clothes, toys, important documents, and my suit...

R.I.P suit. You're still missed

In 2023 Bandetta and I divorced while living in in Macomb and I took some time to figure myself out. I moved back home by my parents, but the location is actually perfect. When I say central Illinois I mean it. If I go an hour one direction I'm in Peoria, an hour the other direction I'd be in Springfield, an hour the other direction I'd end up in Macomb, and if I go two hours the other direction I'll end up back in Champaign. Chicago and St Louis are both four hours from me as well it's literally the perfect location. 

After taking a break for a few years though I'm glad to say I'm back and relighting the beacon. I made a new suit, just teamed up with The Heroes Alliance on a mission in Indianapolis, found a hero who started a few months ago who's actually near me. It's great and there's so much more coming in the future.

In October I'll be attending H.O.P.E in Chicago.

In December I'm Hosting "Clothes The Door 2026"

Then I'll be taking the donations from that to the Bloomington Care Fair.

I'm also planning a hand out mission for Pekin and a trash clean up for some areas in Springfield. 

Stay Bright Everyone ~ The Beacon