Everyone here at PhillyCAM is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our dear friend and colleague Vijay Mohan who was struck and killed by a car while riding his bike home on Saturday evening, May 9th. This sudden loss leaves a great void not just here at PhillyCAM but in our community as a whole.
Everyone who knew Jay are all too familiar with his personality, which was full of life, laughter, jokes, and good times. In honor of all that was wonderful and truly Jay, PhillyCAM will host a special celebration to honor his awesomeness this Friday, May 15 from 5:30pm-7:30pm. We want this to be an occasion for the PhillyCAM community to come together to share our memories of Jay. There will be snacks and crate beats from Antoine's record collection. Contact antoine@phillycam.org if you would like to bring a food dish or make a donation towards snacks.
Beyond our PhillyCAM celebration of Jay there is also a Ride of Silence event that people can participate in next Wednesday, May 20th at 6:45pm. The purpose of this silent bike ride is to honor cyclists killed/injured in motor vehicle related accidents and to raise awareness about the rights of cyclists to ride the roads.
We thank everyone for expressing condolences and offers to support the PhillyCAM team through this tough period. We will greatly miss Jay's gentle, funny and creative spirit. He was truly committed to our work and demonstrated it daily through his interactions with PhillyCAM producers. Jay will also be remembered for his work as a student at Temple University, Scribe Video Center, BlackStar Film Festival, Philadelphia Asian Film Festival, and with local community organizations in his neighborhood and throughout the city. He has touched the lives of many individuals and communities in Philadelphia and beyond. He was so generous with his knowledge and quick with a joke. We will miss him terribly.
We would like everyone in our network know you can express your grief and support in a number of ways. We are asking folks to please share with us any photos you may have of Jay. You can send these photos to sonia@phillycam.org. You may post your thoughts and remembrances on the PhillyCAM facebook page- www.facebook.com/phillycam and contribute to the fundraising campaign- www.gofundme.com/vijaymohan. We are also working with his mother in India and his family in the US to coordinate return of his remains to Kerala, India.