Brothers in the University of Colorado Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity raised $48,318 over a six-day event in which a stationary bike was ridden non-stop to honor cyclists and pedestrians killed by drivers — including 17-year-old cyclist Magnus White, who was killed on the Diagonal last year.
The men rode 2,100 miles in sun, rain and snowy conditions, which is the equivalent of riding from Boulder to New York City, according to a press release from The White Line, a foundation set up in White’s honor.
“That bike never stopped pedaling. Each minute on that bike represented someone’s child, parent, spouse, sibling or friend. Through the snow, darkness and biting cold, each of us knew we were riding for something greater. As we watched the minutes pile up and laid out candle after candle, the staggering weight of those 8,423 lives sank in—a reminder of real, irreplaceable people whose stories were cut short,” said Sebastian Edwards, a Pi Kappa Alpha member and friend to White.
In the final minute, White’s family, friends and the fraternity brothers gathered around a riderless bike in a moment of silence to honor the White, a U.S. national champion in cyclocross.
“These young men have truly raised awareness about how driver behavior can have devastating consequences,” said White’s dad, Magnus White. “More importantly, they’re committed to changing their own driver behavior – no phone distractions, no impaired driving, and being responsible behind the wheel. After seeing the impact firsthand of a life stolen by dangerous driving behavior, they don’t want to be killed by a driver, and they don’t want to kill anyone as a driver. Their commitment to honoring not just Magnus, but all victims of traffic violence, it gives us hope.”
All of the money raised be given directly to The White Line to help improve road safety and stop dangerous driving, according to the release. Additional donations can be made until Friday at pikeonabike.com.
