By Jesse Wood
Oct. 16, 2014. Appalachian Mountain Brewery hosts a benefit for Jay Erwin on Saturday, Oct. 18, to raise funds for the purchase of an adaptive, hand-crank bike for Erwin, who is paralyzed from the waist down.
The event takes place at the brewery from 5 to 9 p.m. A portion of proceeds from beer, foods and merchandise sold will go to the fundraiser for the adaptive bike. In addition, live music and a silent auction featuring a variety of items and gift certificates will be held on Saturday night.
So far Blood Sweat and Gears and Boone Area Cyclists have contributed $1,000 each to the effort, but organizers note that an additional $2,200 is needed.
Erwin suffered a spinal cord injury in the fall of 2013 while cutting down some trees on his property in Deep Gap. Erwin was an avid runner and co-founder of the Boone Running Club. Erwin nearly died – and actually was dead for a short period of time until his 19-year-old son revived him after performing three rounds of CPR.
Although this has been a life-altering experience for Erwin, his spirit has never waivered. He continues to maintain such a positive attitude in the face of constant adversity. See this profile of him and another article on Erwin, both of which were written earlier this year.
The adaptive bike will allow Erwin to stay active.
On Saturday morning – before the fundraiser at Appalachian Mountain Brewery – Blood Sweat and Gears is hosting a fundraiser ride with “ride-leader extraordinaire” Steve Lambert. Riders will meet at 9:30 a.m., and the ride will begin at 10 a.m.
The 64-mile ride begins and ends in Cove Creek and riders will have the chance to see the fall foliage and Snake Mountain from the backside. See this GPS map of the ride here: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6221272.
With both events happening on the same day, AMB and BSG hopes folks coming from down the mountain can make a weekend out of the morning ride and nighttime festivities.
Information about these events was posted on the Facebook pages of AMB and BSG.
“This is where you fit in. We need your help. Come to the mountains, ride your bike, look at the leaves, come to AMB and let’s get this bike for Jay!” the post read.
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