Groupon fundraiser for fallen cyclist makes a huge impact on Chicago streets

On May 29, Bobby Cann was riding his bike on the 1300 block of North Clybourn Street in Chicago when he was struck and killed by a vehicle. Bobby, a Groupon employee, was a passionate cyclist. He loved sharing his love of cycling with others. 

In response to the death of a colleague and friend, the Groupon community wanted to do something to honor his memory and use their resources to make a difference on our streets.

The result was a beautifully written Groupon-style fundraiser to support Active Trans' Neighborhood Bikeways Campaign, an advocacy effort that mobilizes thousands of people from across Chicago to achieve our goal of building a 100-mile network of protected bikeways by 2015.

A comprehensive bikeway network has the potential to significantly reduce crashes for people driving, walking and biking alike, while increasing the number of people who choose cycling for transportation.

In eight short days, 3,360 donations poured in from Bobby's friends and family and many others who
wanted to contribute in Bobby’s memory. One donor contributed $10,000. Groupon generously donated staff time, the cost of credit card transaction fees and its considerable clout. In all, $43,600 was raised to make Chicago streets safer.

The overwhelming response to Bobby's crash and the Groupon honoring his memory is a testament to the impact he has had on the community. The enthusiasm and support for protected bike lanes is growing. The donations from this campaign will directly result in more protected bike lanes, more people on bikes and safer streets in Chicago.

Active Trans would like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to Groupon, everyone who donated, and most importantly to Bobby, who was a model cycling citizen.

Photo of Bobby Cann memorial event courtesy of Steven Vance and Streetsblog Chicago.