Close friends and family of King Soopers victim Teri Leiker gathered with Via Mobility Services staff to unveil a memorial in her honor on Friday, September 16. The private event took place at Via Mobility Services’ headquarters in Boulder, Colorado.
“Teri was not shy about helping us make our service better,” said Via CEO Frank Bruno. “That’s one of the reasons why Teri is part of Via’s DNA.”
Bruno unveiled a portrait of Leiker to add to the organization’s Portraits of Ability collection. The collection, hung along Via’s entryway corridor, now honors 26 people with disabilities.
“Today we’re adding a 26th portrait to our Portraits of Ability collection,” said Craig Christopher, professional development manager at Via Mobility Services and volunteer victim advocate in Boulder. “The portraits are so much more than pictures. They represent amazing stories of people who accomplished so much. At Via we help people with disabilities achieve independence so they can live successful lives.”
Via Mobility Services provided accessible transportation to Teri Leiker for more than 19 years. Leiker relied on Via’s services to get to her job at King Soopers, and many Via drivers and staff were deeply affected by her death.
Multiple Via drivers and staff attended the memorial, including the driver who took her to work on the day of the shooting. Drivers shared stories about their experiences with Leiker, who they said was a positive person they looked forward to driving.
“She had that big smile,” said Via driver Al Parsons. “What are you going to do but smile back?”
“The effect of the tragedy on us–not just drivers, but behind-the-scenes staff like dispatch and scheduling–we were all hit by it,” said Via driver John Martin.
About Via Mobility Services
Via Mobility Services is a private nonprofit that provides accessible transportation and guidance for people with mobility limitations, especially older adults and people with disabilities. Since 1979, Via has been helping its riders live more self-sufficient lives by providing caring, customer-focused transportation in Boulder, Denver, and five other counties in Colorado. Via is also a community transportation provider operating several bus services under contract, such as the HOP, Access-a-Ride, FlexRide, and more. Learn more at ViaColorado.org.