Bike Shop staff hope to fly family to funeral after crash kills cyclist

Friends and co-workers of an elite Calgary cyclist fatally injured while on his bike are shifting into high gear to help his family.

They’re hoping to raise money to eventually bring the family of Cory Meza, who live in California and are separated by the COVID-19 travel shutdown, to Calgary for his funeral.

Just before 7 p.m. on Friday, Cory Meza was critically injured as he rode home from work and collided with a vehicle while eastbound on 50 Avenue S.E.

Police say he T-boned the vehicle in the intersection at Macleod Trail and was taken to Foothills Medical Centre, where he died Monday from head injuries.

Family members say they’ve been told he struck a vehicle making an improper left-hand turn but police are still investigating.

Staff at the Bike Shop’s south location — where Meza worked since early 2019 — are hoping to raise $10,000 to help his wife, Chelsea, by donating all profits from rentals and sales on Wednesday.

“We’re helping the family as best we can, quickly,” said Doan Galarneau, owner of the store at 7413 Macleod Trail S.W.

The store’s operator says that assistance will continue after Wednesday’s fundraising efforts.

Meza’s wife set up a Gofundme page that by Monday afternoon had collected more than $10,000 to help bring Cory’s family to Calgary from the U.S.

“We’re going to try to bring his family here after COVID-19 is done,” said a grieving Chelsea who married Meza, a San Diego native, in 2016. On Monday, she said the cycling community and those in the rollerblading movement in which she competes “have been nothing but spectacular in every angle in their support.”