Actor Chris Pratt paid tribute to his late father in an epic way, immortalizing his memory into a teen center named after him.
The Passengers and Guardians of the Galaxy star helped to break ground for the new Dan Pratt Memorial Teen Center – a new addition to the Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County. Pratt was apparently able to attend the groundbreaking celebration of the teen center in his hometown of Lake Stevens, Washington.
He opened up about the occasion on Facebook , sharing his overall gratitude for the opportunity to honor his father’s memory in such a phenomenal way thanks to the help of the Boys & Girls Club and Omaze.
In addition to adding his celebrity presence to the event, Chris Pratt gave the center a charitable donation check of $500,000 to go along with it.
“I have never been more grateful in my life… Thank you so much to the folks at Omaze for all your hard work, and to all the people around the world who donated through the campaign. We couldn’t have done it without you. I just handed the teen center committee a $500,000 check like on Publishers Clearing House… It’s gonna be fabulous too! The plans are amazing.”
Pratt also honored his father’s memory by talking about him specifically in his Facebook post after discussing the charitable contribution and groundbreaking ceremony for the teen center. Chris stated that his father was “a funny, thick skinned, hard working man who commanded respect for authority.”
He further claimed that his father coached him and many other children in Lake Stevens in a number of different sports “and was a pillar of his community.”
“He affected a lot of young men. Ask anyone who knew him… And now his memorial teen center will help kids out of trouble for many years to come. His legacy will live on.”
Chris Pratt lost his father to a battle with multiple sclerosis while the former Parks and Recreation actor was filming the blockbuster hit movie, Jurassic World.
In a November 2016 issue of the British GQ , Pratt discussed how filming Guardians of the Galaxy 2 forced him to deal with his own real-life loss and grieving process. Pratt admitted that he “ripped open some wounds” that had not fully healed yet.
“It would probably make for a better story if it was some emotional thing that I hadn’t deal with… When we face the death of a parent, you sometimes feel regret that you didn’t full embrace what you had.”
Pratt stated in a past interview that his father, a longtime contractor that was known for his hard work ethic, “gave upon life” when he was no longer able to walk due to his medical condition. As Chris continued to make a name for himself over the years as a TV star and recently as a blockbuster movie star, he said that his father essentially had his own, unique way of supporting him. Even though he reportedly did not react in any certain way, Chris feels assured that his father was “definitely proud” of what he accomplished.
“If I was on TV, he watched everything I was in. So, it felt like I was able to communicate with him through doing work that was on TV.”
In addition to playing a father in such movies as Delivery Man , Chris Pratt is also a father in real-life. He and Anna Faris, his wife of seven years and former co-star, welcomed their son Jack into the world in August of 2012.
Chris Pratt Shares Touching Message and Video About His Son Jack on World Premature Day – #comedy https://t.co/bzj2if6Qdl pic.twitter.com/LCMGnOIvgM
— Comedy Feed (@comedyfeeduk) December 17, 2016
The fact that Jack was a preterm baby initially scared Chris and Anna due to the nature of his prognosis. However, according to People , Chris Pratt credited his premature son’s birth for restoring his faith in God .
[Featured Image by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Images]
