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ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - It has been just over a year since 16-year-old Benjamin Reiser was killed while riding a motorcycle on Roswell Road. Safety improvements have since been made at the intersection where he died, but his family says his legacy extends far beyond those changes.

On Tuesday, seniors from Mount Vernon High School gathered at Chastain Park to practice for Saturday's Battle of the Bands fundraiser benefiting the Benjamin Reiser Foundation.

The foundation was created shortly after Reiser's death in September 2025 to promote financial literacy among teenagers.

 We decided not to focus on the tragedy itself but focus on the things he enjoyed in life, and one of those was entrepreneurship,  his mother said.  He loved making money, talking business ideas. 

The financial literacy program is already in place at Mount Vernon, and organizers hope to expand it to other schools. To support that effort, the foundation has hosted events at Georgia Tech and a pickleball tournament organized by Reiser's friends, who help run the foundation.

 I think he would be so happy that we're doing something about it to create good in the world,  said Ansley Cortright.

In the months after Reiser's death, safety changes were made at Roswell Road and Laurel Forest Circle.

 That should never have been allowed to be a left turn lane, left turn ability, and that has now been corrected,  his father said.

While the intersection improvements addressed safety concerns, Reiser's family and friends say they remain focused on honoring his memory through the foundation's work.

 It's heartbreaking every day, and there's a saying that the hole will never be filled, just beautiful things will grow around it,  his mother said.

The Battle of the Bands is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, at Chastain Park. Bands from Mount Vernon, Decatur, Ridgewood and Weber high schools are set to perform.
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