GoFundMe page for Cache Valley man raises thousands
A GoFundMe for local personality Brent Carpenter has raised more than $36,000 since it was launched on Jan. 25.
Josh Barnett, a local insurance agent, started the fundraiser after Carpenter visited his office this week. Carpenter had a black eye and was asking Barnett for money to buy groceries.
“He pulled out his wallet and said, ‘Look, no money, I need milk and juice and food,’” Barnett said.
Barnett gave Carpenter $20 and started the GoFundMe shortly afterward to raise additional funds for him.
Carpenter, commonly known in the valley as ‘Bicycle Brent,’ has been a Cache Valley community figure for decades. A former employee at the USU Junction for 30 years, he’s known for riding his bicycle around Logan, waving, honking his horn and spreading joy to people he passes.
Carpenter, who will turn 70 in April, slipped on ice last week, giving him a black eye.
He was born with a condition that limited the room within his skull for his brain to grow. While the tops of most infants’ skulls are soft and flexible, allowing room for growth, Carpenter’s skull had already ossified into bone.
Because of this, his brain developed within a constrained environment, causing seizures until his teenage years. Although doctors believed he would be unable to perform everyday tasks, Carpenter has defied the odds – something he reminds people as he rides his bicycle around Logan.
The original goal for the fundraiser was $1,000, but it quickly went viral on social media. According to Barnett’s GoFundMe page, it’s been shared more than 14,000 times on Facebook and Twitter, and as of Wednesday morning, more than 1,700 people have made a donation.
“It is just so cool to see people rally around Brent,” Barnett said.
Carpenter’s studio apartment, where he has lived for 32 years, recently came under new ownership, after which his rent increased from $310 to $600 a month. For financial reasons, his family is considering assisted living as an alternative.
All of the proceeds will be donated to Carpenter and his family, who help care for him. Carpenter’s GoFundMe page is provided below.
https://www.gofundme.com/help-bicycle-brent