Bethany Schultz wins state and regional Jaycees Outstanding Young Michigander Awards

Bethany Schultz was on her motorcycle, making her way through morning rush hour traffic on I-94 when her mirrors suddenly darkened. She quickly realized what was about to happen.

A car traveling in excess of 70 mph struck Schultz's motorcycle. With a double-haul trailer on her right, she had only one option - jump off her motorcycle and hope she didn't hit the cement wall on her left.

Managing to walk away with no broken bones that day in September 2004, Schultz began to examine her life.

“Why are you settling for less?" she asked herself. An experienced event planner and fundraiser, Schultz decided it was time to focus those skills on the Ypsilanti community, where she's lived since 1992.

Schultz’s actions have earned her the Jaycees Outstanding Young Michigander award at both the regional and state levels. She's now under consideration for the national award.

“I almost started crying. It’s such great exposure for Ypsilanti,” Schultz said of discovering she won the state award.

Since her accident, Schultz has organized the Preservation Ball for the Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse, helped create the Cross Roads Music Festival and chaired OutFest for the Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project. She's also put together smaller fundraisers.

“Bethany is very active in a lot of different areas, in a lot of different groups,” said Carrie Crabtree, management vice president of the Ypsilanti Area Jaycees, the group that gave her the regional award and nominated her for the state honor.

The petite, tattooed Schultz is high-energy and goes by the nickname Bee, as in Busy Bee. A fitting name for someone who considers her strength “pollination.”

Schultz, 39, said she looks to meet people and then figure out how they can help each other.

“How can I plug you in? How can I network you? How can I create synergy between your nonprofit and this nonprofit?” she said. “I can’t is not in my vocabulary. It’s like, how do we make this happen?”

Schultz is already working on her next project, Earthdance, to be held on Sept. 26 at the Corner Brewery.

Ann Dwyer is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com.