David Mitchell fell in love with the roller coaster of his youth, and he's not giving up on it now.

His passionate effort to save the Big Dipper began in 2007, when the Cranberry resident heard of the closing of Geauga Lake Park in his hometown of Aurora, Ohio. The coaster had been a big attraction there since the late 1920s.

The coaster has since been sold to an unnamed buyer, leaving its fate up in the air. Mr. Mitchell is trying to raise public awareness and rally support for the ride that's been something special to a lot of people over the years. He hopes to preserve it on the present site.

Mr. Mitchell recalled it was the afternoon before a Pirates game when he heard the news, and that night he couldn't get the coaster or park out of his head. "I went to Geauga Lake for the first time in 1975 with my grandmother, my mother and my little brother." From that visit, he was hooked. The family bought season passes over the years, and Mr. Mitchell, now 39, was able to take his own kids to the park the year it was suddenly closed.

"It was a shock when the park was closed about a week after the season ended," he said.

Charles Jacques Jr., of Natrona Heights in Harrison, is working on a book about Geauga Lake. He is the author of "Kennywood Memories," "Kennywood: Roller Coaster Capital of the World," and "Goodbye, West View Park, Goodbye."

"It is a shame to see Geauga Lake closed. It is sad to see a great tradition end. It is a shame to see that 'the fun is gone' when a few years ago it was advertised as 'the fun is back.' "

The Big Dipper is said to be the 12th oldest coaster in the country. It was created by noted roller coaster designer John Miller, who also created three Kennywood coasters: the Jackrabbit, the Racer and part of the Thunderbolt.

Mr. Mitchell recounted his first ride on the Big Dipper.

"The lift hill seemed really big, it took forever to get to the top. That one, at the very top, had a slow turn before you came down. You'd sort of be in the tops of the trees and you'd be looking around the park and then you'd plunge down the hill, it seemed like that thing would just keep going."

He was upset that the park was closed and followed the details on the Internet. As the rides started to be shipped to other parks or scrapped, he became increasingly concerned about the historic coaster. He got just the nudge he needed from his wife, who said: "If you're so upset, write some letters."

That's what he did, writing to newspapers and to government officials. The letters were printed, and he received responses from the citizenry and politicians alike. He discovered that many people shared his feelings about the coaster.

So, he has organized what he is calling a "town hall meeting" to celebrate the Big Dipper at noon Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars across the road from the former Geauga Lake Park in Aurora.

It's for people to share memories of the park and the ride. Two experts on coasters -- Mr. Jacques and Jim Futrell, of Bethel Park, a historian for the National Amusement Park Historical Association -- will speak. Both appeared on the WQED Rick Sebak special, "Great Old Amusement Parks." Mr. Jacques also appeared on the WQED "Kennywood Memories" special.

"We hope to both celebrate the history of the park and the Big Dipper," Mr. Mitchell said. "There have been a lot of historic roller coasters ... that just kind of stood around for a few years until they burned down or were demolished. There was no real recognition of their value or their role. That will be part of this."

Mr. Mitchell also has started a petition to save the coaster.

He's determined to honor this coaster as a rich piece of Americana.

"If that's the send-off the Big Dipper gets, that's better than not celebrating at all," he said.

For more information about the defunct park and the upcoming event, go to www.geaugalaketoday.com.