100 Kids Receive Bikes And Helmets In Memory Of Avid Cyclist

PORTLAND, OR — One hundred kids will receive new bicycles Saturday as part of a giveaway held in remembrance of avid Portland bike rider Brian Duncan.

Duncan's parents used donations they received following their son's death this past October to sponsor a bicycle giveaway in his honor; and, along with the bikes, the 50 boys and 50 girls benefitting from the donation will also each receive a new helmet and bike lock.

Prior to March 30, 2016, Duncan rode his bike all around the north Portland area, Portland police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson said in a statement. But on his way home from Arbor Lodge that day, Duncan was struck by an 84-year-old driver who ran a red light at the intersection of North Rosa Parks Way and North Delaware Avenue.

Duncan survived the collision, Simpson said, but he was paralyzed and had to spend the following nine months in rehabilitation and physical therapy.

Then, in October 2017, Duncan, 38, went missing for a week before he was found dead by Portland police. Duncan's death, though tragic, was not deemed suspicious, police said.

The subsequent outpouring of support his family in Pennsylvania received from the greater Portland community inspired them to give back to those people who so thoughtfully helped out, Simpson said.

Image via Portland Police Bureau