Jay Austin began cycling the globe in 2017. At 389 days out, on July 29th, 2018, while in Tajikistan, a country in Central Asia, he and three other cyclists were intentionally targeted and brutally murdered by terrorists. Jay lost his life simply because he was American.
I'm (Jay's mom) a Warmshowers' host now, since Jay's passing, since learning that Jay was a Warmshowers' member while on this journey. Warmshowers is an organization to assist international cyclists in need of a stay, usually overnight, when wild camping or other means aren't an option. Jay wrote in his blog, Simply Cycling, Traveling The World By Bicycle, of his heartfelt gratitude for Warmshowers' hosts. I became a host to repay the enormous hospitality and kindness given to Jay by total strangers.
When hosting a guest recently, I asked if he wouldn't mind carrying Jay's photo with him and he graciously accepted. It was at that very moment that I felt, albeit in an odd way, as if Jay will now still be cycling. Guests I've hosted since have also accepted Jay's card.
For cyclists anywhere and everywhere, if you would like to carry Jay's photo (which isn't a picture on photo paper but rather similar to that of a business card but smaller, pictured to the right), please reach out to me through the 'Contact Us' section above and I will happily send you one wherever you are on this planet. I will be forever grateful!
My goal is to have this become a trend! I don't want Jay to have lost his life in vain. I want everyone to know of Jay and for him to never be forgotten!
Kindly put your info in the space provided above in the 'Contact Us' section. In the space provided for comments, please place your full mailing address.
I'll send you Jay's card anywhere you are on the planet.
Smile Amazon: Log into your Amazon account at smile.amazon.com; available for all memberships including Prime. When making a purchase, if you are not already supporting a favorite charity through Amazon, please consider us, The Jay Austin Simply Be Kind Foundation®. There's no cost to you, not a penny out of pocket. On the Smile.Amazon website, which is identical to the Amazon website, at the left top of the page, to the right of 'All", at 'Supporting', key in The Jay Austin Simply Be Kind Foundation and our info will auto populate. Amazon will send us 0.5% of the amount of your purchase. The Jay Austin Simply Be Kind Foundation® is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We thank you for your support! 💙
Follow us:
on Instagram @ simplyjayaustin
on Twitter @ SimplyJayAustin
and on Facebook @ The Jay Austin Simply Be Kind Foundation
Visit our online store featuring our eco-friendly and life message pins with no-cost shipping. Purchases are tax deductible to the full extent allowable by law.
Mention and/or photos of Lauren, the love of Jay's life, are intentionally excluded from this site, when possible, at the request of and out of respect for the privacy of her family. To learn about Jay and Lauren's amazing journey together, visit Jay's blog, 'Simply Cycling, Traveling The World By Bicycle' @ simplycycling.org.
Send comments/concerns/questions to Jea@SimplyJayAustin.com
Google Ads Terms and Conditions
The Jay Austin Simply Be Kind Foundation® is now also known as Simply Jay Austin
EIN 84-3852918
501(c)3 Tax-Exempt Status As Of 11/19/2019
US Registered Trademark 6,429,355 As of 07/20/2021
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2019 The Jay Austin Simply Be Kind Foundation, Inc.
Powered by GoDaddy Website Builder
Website created by Jay's Mom, Jea Santovasco
'I could die doing what I love, but I could also die never having really lived. To me, that would have been a far greater tragedy.' - Jay Austin
Jay really lived .. up until the very moment he was intentionally brutally murdered in a terrorist attack while cycling the world.
Jay lost his life simply because he was an American.
May 1st, 1989 - July 29th, 2018
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.