and president of Bike Gallery.
(Photos © J. Maus)
At the Brett Jarolimek Memorial Fund benefit last night, Bike Gallery President Daniel McGinnis implored the hundreds of people who showed up to “roll up your sleeves”, and reminded us that our recent Platinum accolade is, “a platform and nothing else.”
McGinnis issued an invitation, and a challenge to all of us to help build something positive out of tragedy. He stressed that the fund was not only in need of financial contributions, but another important type of contribution — our ideas.
Hoping to “cultivate a grassroots movement” by funding projects from the community, McGinnis pointed to an idea box and urged everyone to write down what they thought should be done with money from the fund.
A bike ridden by Brett, and made by his friend Matt Cardinal was on display.
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With last night’s fundraising (via a silent auction and raffle tickets), the Brett Jarolimek Memorial Fund already has nearly $40,000 in pledged donations — with significant amounts coming from Northwest Portland-based manufacturer Chris King Precision Components and Bike Gallery.
Last night’s event was a tangible example of how October’s tragedies transcended any one bike group in Portland and have fostered a coalescence of the bike movement among the entire community.
The future is up to us. What are your ideas to make Portland’s streets safer?
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