The Bloomington Community Bike Project is organizing a night bike ride in honor of Michael Brooks, a 41-year-old man who was killed May 13 while biking along East Indiana State Road 45.
The Memorial Night Ride for Mikey is scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday. It will be a slow, family-friendly ride and will emphasize moving safely together, said Hugh Farrell, a member of the collective.
The Bloomington Community Bike Project is a local cooperative that helps recycle bikes within the community, according to its website. In addition to being involved with the Bike Project, Brooks was part of a broader community that supported DIY and grassroots projects in Bloomington, Farrell said.
The Bike Project scheduled the night ride before the tragic collision, Farrell said. The group wanted to raise visibility of cycling alternatives to fossil fuel transportation.
“Because of the tragedy, we were moved to dedicate the ride to him and try to use this as an opportunity to push for positive change,” he said.
The hour-long ride will start at 8 p.m. at the Bike Project, which is located at 216 N. Madison St. near Seventh Street and the B-Line trail. The collective reached out to speakers and will emphasize safety as the group bikes across town.
“We won’t allow his death to be meaningless,” Farrell said. “We want to ensure that something like this never happens again.”
