CULLMAN – Bikers and other community members united on the steps of the Cullman County Courthouse on Sunday evening for the Third Anniversary Jay’s Ride event.
The event, started to honor the memory of Jerry "Jay" Kendall, Jr., a Cullman citizen who tragically lost his life to a distracted driver, has grown into something much bigger, according to some in attendance.
“You look around, and you see everyone wearing the (Bike Lives Matter) shirts and just the feeling of comradery,” community member Jason Marchman said, “and we love coming out here for (Jay Kendall) and everything, but this really is about the community as well. Showing each other than we’re there for one another, you know?”
Light rain showers did not seem to faze those in attendance, as gazebos sheltered those seated at the courthouse.
At the event, bikers rode in, followed by pick-up trucks and cars, all with police escorts.
Suzette Kendall, the widow of Jay Kendall, is the organizer of the annual event, something she hopes to use as a galvanizing force behind her proposed “Jay’s Law.”
“The fines for using phones and technology while behind the wheel are too low,” she said. “$25 is too low, the person could just give that to the cop right then and there. We have to make it so high that it discourages texting and driving: losing your license, having to pay large fines, things like that.”
Her husband lost his life in a traffic incident on May 21, 2014, in which the other driver was using his phone while driving, leading to the collision. In July 2014, a special rally, Jay’s Last Ride, was held in his honor.
Suzette Kendall said that she hopes that this event, along with energizing movement behind her “Jay’s Law,” gets people to take focusing on the road seriously.
“I hope when people leave this event their cell phones go in the backseat,” she said. “People need to not take things for granted. I know I took it for granted that I’d see my husband again, but I didn’t.”
Although the potential for rain “scared the band from coming,” according to Suzette Kendall, various speakers addressed the approximately 200 in attendance, including Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry, Sen. Paul Bussman, R-Cullman and former Democratic State Rep. James Fields.
“I just want to make our roads safe,” Suzette Kendall said. “I have it in my blood now. I can’t give up, that would mean that my husband died for nothing.”
Visit Suzette Kendall’s organization, Hands on the Wheel, at http://qrne.ws/hotw.
