A YEAR AGO, 1999 Uni alum Matt Wilhelm died tragically after being hit by a car while riding his bike on Illinois 130 in rural Urbana.

The reason for his unnecessary and untimely death: The driver of the car was downloading ringtones, a distraction that drew her eyes from the road just a moment too long.

In remembrance of Matt's life, a memorial bike ride is being held Saturday. The ride, organized by Matt's parents and local bicycle groups, starts at 9 a.m. from the Meadowbrook Park pavilion off Race Street, south of Windsor Road.

The ride is an easy, casual, 7-mile tour through downtown Urbana and Campustown. Everyone is invited to attend, and there is no entry fee.

The first 50 riders to arrive will receive complimentary T-shirts, snacks, and drinks. Those who aren't interested in riding can still join the riders at the park before and after the ride.

The goal of the memorial ride is to raise awareness about traffic safety, especially for bicyclists, and to encourage drivers to stop using their cell phones when they are behind the wheel.

Matt's parents, Gloria and Chuck, have also taken their remembrance of Matt a step further by successfully advocating a law requiring new drivers to receive a certain amount of "distracted driving education." In August, Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed the law, and the mandatory lesson about the dangers of distracted driving and the possible distractions one may encounter will now be incorporated into driver's ed classes.

"We would love to see cell phones banned while driving," said Gloria Wilhelm. "In the meantime, we are trying to change attitude and change behavior so people willingly stop using their cell phones."

After graduating from Uni, Matt went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois. In August 2006 he began working full time as an engineer for Caterpillar in Peoria. Despite wearing a safety helmet at the time of his accident, he never regained consciousness after he was struck Sept. 2.

Note: The photo of Matt Wilhelm on this page is from the Matt's Law Coalition site.