Moon River Brewing Company and New Belgium Brewing will host the Second Annual Matt’s Moon River Cruise on Saturday, May 3 from 2-5 p.m. at Moon River Brewing Company, 21 West Bay St. The event is named in memory of Matt Kohler, who was hit from behind by a driver on July 26, 2012 while riding his bike on U.S. Highway 80 in Bloomingdale.
The event will be held in the Moon River Beer Garden and will feature:
- A recreational bike ride and social media scavenger hunt leaving Ellis Square at 1 p.m.
- Live music from the Jimmy Wolling Band
- Raffle (must be present to win) and silent auction.
- A special beer brewed in Matt’s honor
- Bicycle valet parking
Tickets are $20 and available at the door. 
Limited edition Matt’s Moon River Cruise t-shirts will be available to those who buy tickets at the door, while supplies last. Proceeds will benefit the Savannah Bicycle Campaign, a local bicycle advocacy and education organization, and Georgia Bikes, which works to improve bicycling conditions and promote bicycling throughout the state of Georgia. We also have plenty of volunteer opportunities available!
The goal is to educate the public on how to safely share the road with cyclists and promote efforts to make our streets safer for people who ride bikes.
“Matt was a huge participant in life and our community. He was that kid everyone wanted to meet and I was blessed to get to marry,” said Kori Kohler. “You probably saw him sitting at a bar in Savannah, becoming best friends with a stranger. You may have cheered next to him at a Sand Gnats game, admired his green pants on River Street for St. Pat’s, or had lumber cut for you when he worked for Home Depot,” she said. “You may have even known him as the guy at the end of the Rock n’ Roll marathon wearing nothing but a bathrobe.”
She hopes the event accomplishes two main goals.
“I wanted everyone to know his story. More importantly, I wanted people to realize that when you neglect the road, for even one minute, you could take away someone’s everything,” Kohler said.
Moon River Brewing Company Brewmaster John Pinkerton is organizing the event and is brewing a special edition beer to honor Matt.
“We’re excited to be brewing Matt’s Moon Cruise commemorative beer again this year. Just like the original, the Moon Cruise is a Belgo-American Pale Ale, which marries the complex fruity flavors of Belgian yeast with the pungent, floral/fruity aroma of American hops,” Pinkerton said. “But brewing a beer in Matt’s honor is not nearly enough to properly serve his legacy. We’re going to even greater lengths this year to not only raise public awareness but also directly engage local elected officials and law enforcement to improve bicycle safety on our roads.”
“Despite statewide decreases in overall highway fatalities, both bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities have been on the rise since 2011,” said Brent Buice, Executive Director of Georgia Bikes. “Improved infrastructure,” he added, ” along with education of existing traffic laws and increased penalties for motorists who injure or kill more vulnerable road users, is the best strategy for reversing this disturbing trend.”
If you cannot attend, please consider making donation today!
The 2014 Pedal Medal awards celebration is scheduled for Thursday, May 15, from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at ThincSavannah, 35 Banard St. (Third Floor). The annual awards, held since 2012 recognize individuals who are working to make Savannah safer, friendlier and more convenient for people who ride bikes.
