BAILEY, Colo. — If you’re driving up to take in the fall colors this weekend be ready for heavy traffic, especially Sunday along U.S. 285.
The 10th annual Emily Parade kicks off Sunday morning at Columbine High School.
The memorial ride winds along U.S. 285 to Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, where 16-year-old Emily Keyes died during a standoff.
This is where several thousand motorcycle riders have gathered since after that terrible day in 2006.
The ride will raise money for the Emily Keyes “I Love U Guys” Foundation, which is helping thousands of schools across the country improve safety for students.
A deranged gunman took over Platte Canyon High School on Sept. 27, 2006. During the standoff, he shot and killed 16-year-old Emily Keyes, whose last text to her parents was “I Love U Guys.”
A few days later, hundreds of bikers staged a ride in her honor.
John-Michael Keyes, Emily’s father, describes how the ride came about.
“It was spontaneous. Bikers have some of the biggest hearted folks on the planet and it started a tradition,” Keyes said.
On any given Sunday, U.S. 285 gets very congested, especially with people avoiding Interstate 70 during peak fall color season.
“But it’ll be especially congested for road traffic on 285 as the bikes are let in and out,” Keyes said.
So Sunday, you might run into very heavy traffic on what is sometimes a two-lane highway past Conifer.
You”ll see thousands of people wearing these pink “I love U guys” bracelets with Emily’s name on it and signs warning that thousands of motorcyclists will be on the highway.
The Colorado Department of Transportation will use its variable messaging signs and the CDOT app to keep drivers updated.
“It’s for a great cause and they raise money for her fund and even though it causes traffic, it’s good for the local economy,” Bailey resident Cindy Gansert said.
“Motorcyclists are sometimes invisible to folks driving in cars and pay special attention this weekend and especially on Sunday,” Keyes said.
“The family lost her at a young age and honestly I think they owe that to her for support and gratitude,” Bailey resident Gloria Adelgren said.
All money raised by the motorcycle parade goes to fund the “I love U guys” Foundation, which has installed emergency response programs in 10,000 schools across North America.
You can contribute by going to ILoveUGuys.org.