TRAVERSE CITY -- Jennifer Gooden's son Eligha Wooley lives at a Kingsley rehabilitation center where he's once again learning to walk and talk.
Wooley, 19, was riding a bicycle but wasn't wearing a helmet when he collided with a vehicle near Kingsley last July, a crash that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, multiple surgeries and a lifetime of medical complications, Gooden said.
"He has come a long way in a short period of time, considering he was pegged for dead in 10 days," Gooden said. "He has had a shunt placed in his brain which drains any excess fluid that continues to collect. He will probably have that shunt in for the rest of his life."
Gooden plans to bring Eligha to the railroad depot off Woodmere Avenue today to support area cyclists who will gather for an eight-mile Ride of Silence through downtown Traverse City.
The free event is part of a worldwide effort to honor cyclists injured or killed on public roadways, and to raise awareness about safety when sharing the road, said Fred Schaafsma, event organizer with the Cherry Capital Cycling Club.
"These things happen all the time, so it is a real awareness for cyclists and for motorists. A fender bender with a cyclist is at best an injury and at worst a death," said Schaafsma. "I would like to say Traverse City is pretty bicycling-friendly considering the infrastructure. Now it's the behavior of motorists and the behavior of cyclists that we need to work on."
The Ride of Silence drew roughly 1,000 participants in 2003 when it was launched in Dallas and quickly grew to include riders in 272 cities across 50 states, 15 countries and six continents in 2007, according to www.rideofsilence.org.
In Traverse City, black memorial armbands will be available to cyclists who are asked to ride in silence no faster than 12 mph. The ride will start at 6:30 p.m. and finish at the railroad depot off Woodmere Avenue.
Missy Luyk with the Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails worked with Schaafsma to promote the silent procession, something she said helps keep safety in the minds of commuters heading into Smart Commute Week next month.
"It does tie in really well with ... all the events we have coming up. This Thursday we have a bike commute class that is free at the college," Luyk said. "The class teaches cyclists how to safely and properly ride their bike on the roads ... to prevent accidents from happening."
For more information on upcoming bike safety classes, log on to traversetrails.org.
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