Family of Dylan Tarbi hosts first bike ride in his honor
BUFFALO TWP — Keith Tarbi said the decision to host a bike ride in honor of his teenage son who died in a bicycle-related crash was based on the opportunity to get his son’s friends riding again.
“There’s a lot of kids out here that were his friends that really haven’t gone on their bikes since he had his accident. We don’t want this to be a deterrent,” Tarbi said.
Dylan Tarbi, a 13-year-old student in the Freeport Area School District, was killed in May 2023 after being hit by a pickup trunk as he rode his bike with a friend along Cole Road in Buffalo Township. He would be turning 15 this month.
“September is a very nice month for us because his birthday falls right in the middle of it,” Keith Tarbi said. “Last year, we did a birthday party on his birthday down at Freeport Park. Money was raised in his memorial fund that we wanted to pay forward.”
To celebrate the upcoming birthday this year, Dylan Tarbi’s family hosted the 2025 Dylan Tarbi Memorial Bike Ride at the Buffalo Creek Nature Park. For it, dozens of cyclists traveled up and down the Freeport-Butler Community Trail in remembrance of Dylan.
At the nature park, a DJ played music while food, refreshments and raffles were offered to guests. Proceeds from the event are expected to go toward the Dylan Tarbi Memorial Fund, which is being set up for supporting youth activities.
“This could include helping out an unfortunate kid that can’t go on a ski trip or a kid that might need extra clothes,” Keith Tarbi said. “It might pay for someone’s welding supply. We think Dylan would have been a blue-collar person in life.”
Ultimately, Keith Tarbi said he hopes the family can continue the event annually to keep Dylan’s memory alive while expanding what the memorial fund is capable of doing.
“Not only will we be able to get a little money added to the fund, but we’ll be able to show people every year, progressively, what we’ve given the money to. People are interested in seeing that,” he said.
The bike route started at the Monroe Road trailhead near the nature park and traveled about 3 miles north to the Sarver Road trailhead before turning around.
While most participants brought bikes, some chose to walk the trail alongside the cyclists.
At the end of the day, however, Robin Tarbi said the most important thing that can be done is continue remembering their son.
“What’s most important is that people support us and remember Dylan’s name and continue to say Dylan’s name,” she said.
