The Karen’s Trail Fund Campaign

Karen McKeachie: World-class triathlete, athletic pioneer, community leader, and force of nature.

On August 29, 2016, Karen McKeachie, a 63-year-old triathlete from Ann Arbor, was killed on Dexter-Chelsea Road doing one of the things she loved: riding her bike. The volunteers of the Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative, along with the entire community, were shocked and deeply saddened by the news of this tragic accident, just a few miles from our homes.

We learned much about the amazing and inspiring life that Karen led when, a few weeks after the accident, Lew Kidder, Karen’s husband of 37 years, reached out to the HWPI chairperson, Jeff Hardcastle. Lew had heard of our group’s efforts to develop new, non-motorized pathways throughout Washtenaw County, and he graciously invited us to be a part of honoring Karen’s life and legacy.

Surrounded by family and friends, Lew is announcing The Karen’s Trail Fund campaign on imATHLETE, a year-long effort to raise funds that will match generous gifts from Lew and from Karen’s family. These gifts and the funds raised will support the development of new pathways in Washtenaw county’s Border-to-Border trail system in ways that will honor Karen’s life and legacy by expanding safe, recreational opportunities for everyone in the region.

You can learn more about Karen McKeachie at the Karen’s Trail website. We’ll also be posting regular updates on Lew’s campaign here.