Events: Tom Palermo Fundraiser
(2015) As in any passion, there are people who are so deeply entrenched in a society that losing them means a larger loss for the greater mass. With industry automaticity the norm in the cycling, the loss of a passionate frame builder is a deeper cut felt in so many circles around the country. Combine cycling with a full-time job of developing websites for Johns Hopkins Hospital to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and the loss of one person damages a community for years to come. It was Tom Palermo who, as a Saint Joseph’s Prep graduate, occupied his time with bettering the community. Researching about his fascinating life leaves one wondering just how nice it would have been to sit down at a mid-ride coffee stop to listen to him talk. Pillars in the community tend to have that effect on people. People gravitate toward them. I would ask him the same question I ask anyone who’s been to Roubaix, “Do the cobbles rumble from below? Or do they chatter moreso?” Perhaps he could have told me the answer from his experiences.
Many cyclists are intensely involved members of the community in which they live, and Tom Palermo was no different. He advocated for safer streets in the Baltimore area. His goal was to make it safer for those who choose to go by bike.
Tom Palermo in the Proteus frame shed, 2003. Photo used with permission by John Dean.
The tragic loss of Tom Palermo on December 27, 2014 has left a chasm in the family he’s left behind, the frame-building company he used as a hobby, as well as the community in which he participated. To help with his loss, an online website has been developed to auction the original bike of Proteus founding owner, Larry Dean. John Dean, Larry’s brother, donated the bike. The auction starts September 9, 2015 and concludes October 4, 2015 at 9pm.
A youcaring page has been set up to benefit his two children. Further information on fundraising and the Proteus bike can be found by accessing the benefit auction site.
Further information: One can bid on the bike through the email palermoauction@gmail.com. Featured photograph is used with permission by John Dean Photography.
