Elyse Stern was a friend of many and her loss has been devastating to this community. We did not need a loss like this to remind us of life's beauty or to live each day fully; we already do this. What this great loss has triggered is a response to try and insure something similar doesn't happen again. A bike light, a helmet, better city planning for bikers- perhaps none of these things would have saved Elyse from a very intoxicated person driving a car, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't take action to avoid future accidents. This fund is an early step.
Any donation will go to subsidizing access to affordable helmets and lights, as well as to educating both drivers and cyclists as to the rules of the road, such as they are.
Despite great strides, especially here in Minneapolis, our society is structured around the automobile and will be so for the foreseeable future. In light of this, access to safety and awareness on cyclists' behalf is necessary in order to safe-guard themselves before and after a collision. Lights and helmets not only help to avoid collisions but also further insure that when collisions do happen, that responsibility is more equitably distributed.
With your help we can take steps toward a city where tragedy strikes the simple act of mobility less.