Let's get Marya some wheels!

Many of you know the brilliant and generous Marya Errin Jones. Last week, Marya was hit by a driver who ran a red light, injuring her, and striking her beloved truck, Azul.

UPDATE:

Thank you all for supporting Marya through this tough time. She's slowly recovering, physically and emotionally from the accident. She is also now able to get a car, thanks to all of you!

Even though we've made our goal, I'd like to leave it up until Juneteenth (June 19) in case anyone else would like to donate. Marya knows you have other friends, family, and organizations you support. Any additional funds we raise in the next few days will help cover her medical bills and therapy. Thank you all for supporting Marya, who has done a lot to help other artists in this community, for years. Marya is donating Azul to KUNM's Vehicle Donation Program.

Original post:

"A few hours ago I was driving Azul through the intersection of 14th and Central when a car going at a high speed struck the driver’s side. My truck was the only thing that slowed them down. They spun me into on-coming traffic. They ran onto the curb 14th and Central. I thought they hit the pole, but their back wheels got caught at the curb. The impact was powerful enough that their airbags deployed. Three people fled the scene of the accident on foot. Before I knew what happened, I was surrounded by bystanders who ran to me, stood in the way of on-coming traffic so I wouldn’t get hit anymore. One guy chased down the people who hit me and got photos of them before they hopped on a bus. Someone paid to have Azul towed to All in the Wrist, and took me to urgent care, where I am now. That someone works at Explora! and I crossed paths with her yesterday in the building when I went to a meeting there but I didn’t see her after the accident when she smiled and offered to stay with me and help. I’m grateful to everyone who stopped to check on me, thanks Juli for driving over. My deepest thanks to my truck, Azul, with bad shocks and no airbags that saved my life (again) today. Please help me fix him."

UPDATE: “The accident broke Azul’s frame. Right after the accident, the frame started to lose its integrity, and by the time Azul made it to the shop, the front left tire, the metal around it, slid away from the truck’s body as the tow truck lowered Azul to the ground. People might treat vehicles as just objects, but Azul was more to me than that. I saw Azul as a talisman of sorts. I’d been spared several catastrophes behind the wheel of that 1992 Mazda truck. What I realized is that, when talismans truly work, they often break, in the service of protecting their person. That’s exactly what happened on Tuesday. I’m so very sad, but I am so thankful to have walked away from what could have been my last day on earth.”

Marya is really banged up, but she was released from urgent care to go home and rest. She's breathing through bruised ribs, and working on lowering her blood pressure, which spiked to dangerous levels due to the crash. Let's help Marya get back on her feet.

If you have anything to spare, PLEASE HELP US GET MARYA A NEW (USED) VEHICLE!

Marya is a full-time artist and student. She is about to enter her final year in the MFA Dramatic Writing Program, where she is completing her thesis play, Pressing, which will be produced in the fall at UNM. Her play is being directed by a wonderful directing student from the Warsaw Theatre Academy. Her play is gorgeous, and she has been working so hard on her MFA. When she graduates, Marya will be the first Black woman to earn an MFA from the Dramatic Writing Program at UNM in more than a decade of the program’s existence. This should be an AMAZING time for Marya, and losing Azul is a huge blow. Marya is in school full-time, works full-time, takes care of her family full-time, and she makes art and collaborates with others full-time. She's awesome.

Marya has always been such a giving artist. As the founder/co-producer for ABQ Zine Fest, the owner and curator of The Tannex (which used to be the absolute best spot for local bands, experimental artists, and groups on tour), or any of the millions of other artistic and community events she has been a part of, Marya has always supported others. She needs our support now. We (her friends) hope to raise enough to get her a reliable vehicle and a little cushion to help her mind and body recover from the accident, so she can move on successfully this summer and begin the final of her MFA.

You are welcome to reach out to me if you have any questions.

Thank you!

Juli