Brett Jarolimek (1976 – 2007)

On an otherwise beautiful October afternoon, we are reminded of where we were exactly one year ago today when we heard the news that our friend and co-worker, Brett Jarolimek had been involved in a fatal bike accident.

Our grief has been tempered some and the raw anguish and outrage at the sudden loss of such a vital and vibrant spirit has largely given way to somber reflection and the strong impulse to take action so that other families, other communities may be spared this same terrible news. The outpouring of support from all corners of the community this past year has been incredible; everyone, it seemed, wanted to find some way to contribute, some way to harness the joy we had felt in Brett’s presence and use it to help prevent such things from ever happening again.

It seems fitting then to take a few moments to share with you some of the many developments that have transpired since our loss…Within days of the accident a memorial fund was established with a mission to support cyclist safety by enhancing motorist education and awareness, and the awareness and visibility of cyclists. Shortly thereafter, a committee was formed to administer an almost immediate influx of financial resources in Brett’s honor. The Brett Jarolimek Memorial Fund Steering Committee quickly determined that the most efficient pathway forward would be to create a semi-formal relationship with the Bicycle Transportation Alliance to expedite the processing of, and accounting for donations received.

Soon the fund had attracted the attention and support of both individuals and businesses alike. Bike Gallery fulfilled its own pledge of $10,000 and Chris King Precision Components also contributed $5,000 to the cause, quickly pushing the fund into a five figure budget. The committee then began to concern itself with how to spend these funds. An idea was brought forward by members of the Portland State University Cycling Team, for hosting a fundraising auction to help support the fund and to create a venue in which members of the community could contribute ideas about what types of projects the fund might involve itself in. The fundraiser far surpassed our expectations and with almost $9,000 collected, the matter of how best to apply some of these funds was becoming more urgent.

Scott Bricker, Executive Director of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance had begun working with Eugene and other cycling oriented communities to learn whether there might be support for a multi-city bicycle safety awareness campaign and as the momentum grew, he inquired as to whether the Brett Jarolimek Memorial Fund might be willing to provide some seed money to get things rolling. Within weeks a staff member had been hired and the campaign now known as Eye To Eye began to take shape.

To date the BTA and the Eye To Eye campaign have produced a robust menu of activities and events with the common goal of making cyclists safer in communities that care. Those activities have included:

• Hosting a New Year’s Day ride as a fundraising event for the Brett Jarolimek Memorial Fund.
• Hosting giveaways of lights and bells to cyclists.
• Facilitating safety awareness events between truck drivers employed by the City of Portland and the cycling community.
• Hosting safety events in conjunction with the Bike Commute Challenge.
• Attending numerous meetings with city transportation officials to garner support for additional infrastructure, including bike boxes which are now a highly visible part of the urban transportation landscape.
• Launching the Eye To Eye campaign which is planned as a multi-media outreach program that can currently be found on Tri-Met buses.Future plans for the campaign include additional road way ads and outreach to AAA membership.
• Support for the official restoration of the stencil of Brett, originally created by Matt Cardinal under the overpass where Brett was killed. The City of Portland has now reversed its earlier position and is in support of this project.

As you can see, the fund is off to a great start thanks to a great many people have been committing their time, energy, and financial resources to ensure that the memory we cherish also helps ensure a safer future for all cyclists in this city; we look forward to counting you among them in the very near future.
To make a contribution, please visit the Brett Jarolimek Memorial Fund page on our web site.

Thank you for your continued support, it means a lot to us all.

Daniel McGinnis
President, Bike Gallery