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Comox Valley Cycling Coalition distributes Paul Bally Memorial Fund

The Comox Valley Cycling Coalition (CVCCo) has submitted the final report for the Paul Bally Memorial Fund.
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Paul Bally, a teacher at Lake Trail middle school, was killed while out cycling on the Old Island Highway in 2014.

The Comox Valley Cycling Coalition (CVCCo) has submitted the final report for the Paul Bally Memorial Fund.

Bally, a popular teacher in the Comox Valley, was riding his bike along Highway 19A when he was fatally hit by a person driving a vehicle in December, 2014.

Funds were raised during a Celebration of Life Memorial Ride in April of 2017. A large private donation was made and a matching donation was provided by the CVCCo. Over $1,620 was raised.

Bally’s family gifted the funds to the CVCCo to be used to support the coalition’s ongoing educational efforts.

The money has been used for seven members to become certified cycling instructors, and they have gone on to teach numerous adult safe riding courses. They also instruct our Ride Right Course for the coalition’s bike rodeo volunteers.

Bike rodeos are held at seven Comox Valley schools per year.

The CVCCo has bicycles and helmets to use by those students without the equipment. In 2019 the CVCCo replaced the aging helmets. The Paul Bally Memorial fund allows the CVCCo to continue to offer the program to approximately 500 students per year.

The last of the Paul Bally Memorial Fund has been used to support the publication of the updated BikeSense Guide to the Rules of the Road published by the British Columbia Cycling Coalition (parent organization). It is an invaluable tool in the education of all those that ride.

“The CVCCo hopes that Bally’s family is pleased with the use of these funds and we wish them to know that over the years over 8,500 members of our community have been provided the knowledge and skills to safely ride a bike,” said CVCCo treasurer, Jude Loukras, in a press release.