“I Didn’t Realize My Father’s Impact."

The bicycles and their riders started to gather about 7 a. m.; bright sun was starting to warm the air. It was a cloudless day with brilliant blue sky. The “Pat Ytsma Ride Safe Bike Tour” Sunday, June 2 was getting underway at the Earl Adams Memorial Park in Breinigsville where organizers were expecting about 200 riders to register. Registration fees for this year’s event and for last year’s bike ride were going toward tuition costs for Willem and Caroline Ytsma, the teenaged children left fatherless when highly respected bicycle safety enthusiast Patrick B. Ytsma was killed Dec. 8, 2011 on Bethlehem’s Fahey Bridge by a motorist. Willem, just finishing his freshman year at Lafayette College, and Caroline, just ending her sophomore year at Freedom High School, wore yellow tee shirts and with about 10 other yellow-shirted volunteers, helped at the registration table. Their mother Judy Parr helped, too. Kirk Koehler was in charge of Sunday’s event. Koehler had been a close friend of Ytsma’s and a co-worker at Spillman-Farmer Architects where Ytsma was an architect. According to Koehler, whose wife Kristin was at the registration tables, the considerable logistics support for the charitable bike ride had been donated. Even a prize, a new Trek bicycle, had been donated by the Trek Bicycle Company and Bike Line, a bicycle company with locations in Allentown and Bethlehem. Many of volunteers were Spillman-Farmer employees. “Spillman-Farmer people have been embracing the kids,” said Koehler. “They have really stepped up to help with their school tuition. “This is a lot of work that no one had to do—but here we are.” Caroline Ytsma recognized the magnitude of what was being done in her father’s honor. “You would never expect so many people … we’re grateful for it. It’s a lot of work that they do,” said Caroline, a tall, slender 17-year old. Her brother, Willem, was also thankful. “It’s nice to see all of these people here,” said Willem, 19. “I didn’t realize my father’s impact. It’s easy to see now—with all of these people here in his memory.” A token of Bethlehem’s esteem for Pat Ytsma is eloquently expressed by the white bicycle chained to a light pole at the north end of the Fahey Bridge in Bethlehem. Willem said he plans to major in mechanical engineering and fine art. Koehler said Bicycling Magazine, published in Emmaus, also contributed to the event. There were many others who contributed. Bike Line had a couple of support trucks manned by Scott Kleinschuster of Orefield and Lauren Grafton of West Chester. They checked tires and chains and pumped air. Michele Nolter, Catasauqua resident and Sheckler Elementary School teacher, said she was going to do the 20-mile route. She and Bike Line’s Grafton shared some laughs while Grafton put some air in Nolter’s tires. Terry Grandfield from Center Valley entered the riding event. “I saw the ad,” he said. He said he is an avid bike rider. He brought his personal support team—his wife, Danese and daughter, Rebekah. Bethlehem residents Terry and Sharon Faul also came for the ride. Terry is an attorney in Bethlehem and Sharon said she is 7th grade science teacher at Moravian Academy in Bethlehem Township. “We’re bike riders,” said Sharon Faul. “We want to help people have an awareness of bikes on the road. We appreciate courtesy and awareness from vehicle drivers.” “When Pat passed away we decided to honor him,” said Sal Verrastro, a principal at Spillman-Farmer. “We also wanted to help the children with a benefit to finance a college fund.” Bicyclists could choose either of two routes; a 20-mile route or a 40-mile ride. The 20-milers started from Breinigsville, went through Topton then along High Road and back to their starting point via Trexler Road. For those choosing the 40-mile trip, they continued through Topton then through Bowers and out to the intersection of Route 222 and School Road before heading back via Kutztown.