We need More Love....

Scott Towne sent this over for us to post up.  It sounds like Ken is a great guy and here for the sport. Now lets help the sport be there for him.

If  you haven't heard, Ken Schneider, the owner of Schneider's Bike Shop in Cleveland, was robbed, beaten and left for dead last week in his shop.

His wife was worried when he didn't come home at the end of the day and found him unconscious in the shop.  Ken has had several surgeries and is still in a drug-induced coma, facing a long recovery.  If you don't know Ken or his shop, it is in a rough part of Cleveland and has been in his family for several generations.   He has always supported BMX and skateboarding and everyone in Cleveland knows him.  He's a low-key guy but very kind and sincere. He is also one of the nicest people you could ever meet.  The person who attacked Ken has been arrested, but the shop is closed indefinitely.  I am having shirts and stickers printed to raise money for Ken and his family to help with expenses and the loss of income while the shop is closed. 100% of the money generated from these items goes to Ken.  There is complete information and a picture of the tee shirt at

www.VintageBMX.com 

http://www.vintagebmx.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=022471 

There is another post on the site where you can read some other testimonials from people that know Ken. 

     I don't get involved in many causes but this one is very important to me.  Ken represents dedication, commitment and the spirit of independence.  His shop is the last of a dwindling breed of small businesses.   Now, he could use our help.  Let me know if you are interested in the shirts and/or stickers.  If you would just like to donate directly, here is the information:

You can send all donations to : 

.
Schneider’s Bike Shop (ATTN: KEN SCHNEIDER FUND)
10001 Lorain Ave
Cleveland, OH 44111

.

thanks,

         scott towne

You can also E-mail Scott about buying a t- at stowne@twmi.rr.com

Comments

[FERRIS]

the person that did this should be castrated and hung from a pike or at least i hope the cops kicked his ass

[afro pat]

thanks mark

[Vanarchy]

As Taken From Cleveland.com

How many happy dads over the decades tied down the trunks of their cars outside Schneider's bicycle shop, careful not to bend a spoke or nick the new enamel?
How many happy kids kicked the kickstand on a big, showroom-clean Schwinn and rolled it out Schneider's front door?
Those happy, Norman Rockwell moments at the old bike shop on Cleveland's West Side have been dimmed by tragedy as store owner Ken Schneider, a victim, police say, of a drug-addicted robber, lies hospitalized with a fractured skull and a broken jaw.
A sign taped to the door of the landmark shop at 10001 Lorain Ave. that first opened more than a half-century ago reads: "Closed for awhile. Ken has been hurt. We are not sure when the store will reopen."
Schneider, 56, a quiet man who fixed bikes for the neighborhood's poor kids for free, has worked in the shop since he was a kid himself, helping his father, who founded the business in the 1940s. Since the beginning, Schneider's has stayed open late a couple days a week to accommodate working parents.
On the evening of March 21, Schneider apparently was working alone at his back-room workbench when a man with a knife entered the shop.
What happened next is sketchy because Schneider has been comatose, unable to tell the story. But police believe the man was the same person who had robbed him at knifepoint three times over the last four months, tying him up with wire at one time.
And here was that brutal figure again. That face. That voice. That knife.
Police suspect Schneider squeezed a dose of pepper spray in the robber's face and ran, but the intruder caught his prey, then used one of the bike shop hammers to bludgeon Schneider into unconsciousness. Police found the knife in a shop trash can.
Schneider's wife, Joan, drove to the store from their Rocky River home when her husband was late coming home and did not answer the store phone. When she arrived, she found him dazed and covered with blood. He was rushed to MetroHealth Medical Center, where doctors operated on his skull.
Schneider was in intensive care Saturday. Doctors do not know whether he suffered brain damage.
His son, Ken, said he does not know if his father will ever reopen the store.
"He's the heart and soul of that place," said the younger Schneider. "He's the one who would have to make that call. Right now, we're just concentrating on getting him back home."

[heavy J]

best wishes to the family and everyone envolved with the schneider business and family. good luck ken you'l be home soon.

[Mark]

Get better Ken! I am horrified by this story. Bad things happen to good people, but the good guys get a better slice of heaven when the time comes.
I wish you all the best and you shouldn't know of any more troubles for the rest of your life. Heal up fast!
This world need to hold onto its good people!