Zeke Shepherd's Recovery Fund

This past weekend, in the early morning hours of October 22, our head mechanic and friend, Zeke, was involved in a bad bike accident around Troost between 18th and 19th street. The details of the accident are unclear with no witnesses to the event, but the injuries sustained suggest a potential hit and run. We are thankful that someone came across him and contacted an ambulance. Luckily, he wore a helmet, and the CT scans showed no major brain injury. He is being treated for several injuries, including fractured skull, ribs, and clavicle.

Zeke is going to have a long road of recovery ahead of him before he is 100%, so we are reaching out to the bike community at large to support one of their own. We’ve put together a GoFundMe for Zeke to help offset costs associated with the time off work, medical bills, and any physical therapy costs that may arise. As his employer, we will ensure his rent and utilities are paid. Zeke doesn’t know we’ve done this and he would never ask us to because that’s the kind of guy he is.

For those who don’t know Zeke, here’s little info about our guy:

Zeke is our dependable and very knowledgeable bike mechanic. He's similar to a real-life grumpy cat meme: sometimes grumpy, but has a huge loveable soft side to those that know him. He works on any bike a customer brings in and treats it like his own when working on them. For folks who commute or are unhoused and use bikes to get around town, Zeke always makes sure to get their bikes in the repair stand to get them on their way as soon as possible. He spends time fixing kids' bikes that some shops won't spend time on. He puts together adult tricycle after adult tricycle for older riders who need something more stable. He's a true bike lover's bike mechanic. He loves to fix bicycles and stay up on the bicycle scene. He's been riding and commuting for longer than we've known him. To say that bicycling is a vital part of his life is an understatement. His expertise in fixing and repairing bikes is second to none. Riding is as essential to him as breathing. He’s one of the most knowledgeable mechanics in Kansas City and works to ensure customers' bikes are safe and reliable.

As his Velo Garage family, we'll do everything we can to ensure he recovers without worrying about his job and time away. Despite this, he will have a lengthy recovery along with hospital bills among the regular monthly bills that will continue to come. We're hoping to raise enough funds to help him make a full recovery and mitigate the compounding issues that come from such a horrible incident. Please know that all funds will be for Zeke's recovery, doctor bills, regular bills, and other expenditures that may yet be unknown. We will issue him a check for the balance of the completed fundraiser. Thanks for helping. Ride safe and please wear a helmet.

P.S. Please know that at this time, the family has asked for visitors to be family only at the hospital. They do not allow more than two visitors at a time and they would like it to be reserved for his family members.