The Keith Mitchell Memorial Fund

As most of you know, Keith Mitchell - longtime local racer, Team Hall Nissan teammate, and friend to many - passed away while racing the 40+ event at Crystal City. Keith was 51.

Keith's teammates at Team Hall Nissan want to do something to honor their friend's memory. Veronica Price writes,

We have gotten the approval from the City of Alexandria for a memorial bench and perennial garden to be placed outside Mt. Vernon Recreation Center located on Wealth Avenue.  Keith’s family lives close and are very involved at the center.  Keith coached girl’s basketball each year with his daughter Candice, who currently works at the recreation center.  Our team feels this is the best way to remember Keith, and his family will be able to visit the garden on a regular basis.

We are purchasing the bench and ornamental tree through the City of Alexandria who will also assist in its placement.  See picture below of the bench.  To cover the cost of the bench, ornamental tree, perennial flowers and mulch we are estimating $1500.00.

Team Hall Nissan would like to thank all of you who have offered to contribute and make this possible for a good friend and his family.  We will keep everyone updated and pass on any further plans of a ceremony or dedication.

Here is a picture of the bench:

I volunteered GamJams.net to help spread the word about the fund and its purpose, and also to help collect funds. We all mean well, but writing a check and finding a stamp and an envelope is hard. But clicking on a few keys while you're already at the computer is easy. So there's this:

That thingy is a secure way to make a donation online, using either a PayPal account or a credit card. It sends your donation to a special PayPal account that I administer. Everything you donate here will go straight to the fund. 100%. Once you make a donation that little thingy is updated to show how much (after 60 seconds or so), so everyone can see how much has been collected. That's how much I'll send to the fund. Even if you use a credit card, for which I'm billed a transaction cost. I'll cover the cost.

I won $25 for not winning the Cat 4 race at Crystal City, so I'll kick off the donations with that. I also won a car wash in a prime worth $12. So that's $37 courtesy of GamJams.net.

How much should you donate?
- If you won anything at Crystal City, that's an appropriate amount.
- If you didn't race at Crystal City, consider donating the $30 entry fee you saved.
- If you win anything at Wilmington or Church Creek this weekend, I hope you'll earmark it for the fund.
- Or if you hit a payday at Murad or Turkey Day, you'll still have time afterwards to contribute. The fund is open until Monday 9/17.
- If you do contribute by credit card, I ask that you give at least $25. I'm charged about $1/transaction. Too many small contributions and I won't be racing on carbon fiber again next year.

Team Hall Nissan is hoping to raise $1500. Coincidentally, about 1500 of you visit GamJams.net every month. Please contribute.

Comments

[Bryan Vaughan]

I didn't know Keith but I raced Crystal City and happened to be behind the finish line checking race results as the situation unfolded. The admiration and concern for Keith was readily apparent throughout - and since. His impact on his fellow racers and friends was readily apparent. A true athelete, he passed away doing what he loved. I am happy to pledge $150 to Keith's memorial through gamjams.net

[Chris]

This is really cool of you to set this up, Mike. I didn't know Keith either, but I'm also contributing because his impact on others is apparent. Also, I figured what happened to him could easily happen to any one of us. I can only wish that there would be so many good people around me if I were in a simliar situation.

[Mike May]

Thanks for your generosity, guys. I can't take the credit though - it's Keith's Nissan Hall teammates who set up the fund. I'm just the mouthpiece.

And it was Keith who inspired the effort and the generosity. Even from people who never knew him, myself included.

[Pete Lindeman]

I'm really glad gamjams is organizing this. I grew up in Alexandria and Keith and I both went to TC Williams high school -- though he graduated 10 years ahead of me. There were many trophies in the lobby with his name on them, so I knew of him long before I actually met him. I raced against him a lot over the years, we flatted in the dirt at Poolesville one year and rode back to the school together, just shooting the breeze, gossiping about Alexandria etc. I was right behind him in the Crystal City race, it was pretty hard to continue that day, and frankly the next few days for me.

[Fabrizio Roman]

This is definitely a great thing, and I am glad to see that we surpassed the $1,500 goal. I haven't raced Turkey Day today and had a terrible couple of weeks between Wilmington, Church Creek, and Murad (i.e., no winnings), and I didn't win anything at Crystal City either (i.e., kind of tough to beat Ramon and Super Dave), but figured I would donate anyway.

Mike, I was right on Keith's wheel at Crystal City when he went down. I went right and the guy to my left went left to avoid hitting Keith. Yes, it was utterly horrible, and to ride by the scene again and see Keith laying there in the same position he fell in was horrendous. I was sick about it for a week or more, and really debated why I even got back into racing since this was only my 3rd or 4th race since taking 18 years off. I remember seeing Keith at Mt. St. Mary's Crit and Leonardtown and thinking it would be awesome to race against him. I thought he was one heck of a competitor on one heck of a nice Mapei Colnago. I got my wish and it sucked. Sometimes, we need to be careful about what we wish for. After yesterday's Murad, I am debating whether or not to race next season.

Take care everybody,

Fabrizio