What began as a small gathering of friends with bikes, memories and a shared love of BMX have grown into the South West’s biggest BMX Freestyle competitions – raising more than £42,000 for Hospiscare since 2010.
Every June, riders, families and spectators come together at Exeter’s Flowerpots Skate Park for Cookie Jam – an event filled with energy, excitement and, at its heart, a very personal story of friendship and remembrance.
The annual event was founded by BMX rider Jamie Skinner in memory of his close friend and former schoolmate, Jamie Bruce, who died in an accident on his 21st birthday.
For Jamie Skinner, Cookie Jam is a way of keeping his friend’s memory alive.
“Jamie loved Maryland cookies and used to eat them all the time. He constantly had packets of them on the go, so got the nickname Cookie Monster (from The Muppets).
“We wanted to do something to remember Jamie by. A couple of weeks after he died, a few of us met up and then, the following year, in 2010, we started the first official Cookie Jam.”
The name has stuck ever since – just like the friendships that inspired the event in the first place. In BMX, a ‘jam’ is an informal gathering, bringing riders together to compete and enjoy themselves.
What started at Exeter’s Arena Skatepark as a group of friends simply getting together has grown into an event attracting hundreds of people of all ages. And the Cookie Jam family is still growing.
Jamie added. “We’ve got some big plans for bigger ramps, more ramps, and more Cookie Monsters.”
Turning grief into something positive
Behind the noise of the bikes, the cheers from the crowd, and the excitement of competition is a quieter story – one of loss, love, and gratitude.
Since the third Cookie Jam in 2012, all proceeds from the event have been donated to Hospiscare.
The decision came after Jamie Bruce’s mum, Karen, experienced another devastating loss. Just two years after losing her son, her husband James also died.
Hospiscare supported the family during James’s final days, even helping Karen and James get married at the hospice shortly before he died.
Karen said: “Hospiscare is the best. Just before James died, they married us in the hospice, and they were so good to us”.
Three years ago, Hospiscare supported Karen again when her own mum needed specialist care at home.
For Karen and Jamie, supporting Hospiscare through Cookie Jam is a way of giving something back to the charity that has been there for their family at some of the most difficult moments.
A legacy built on friendship
For Jamie, Cookie Jam has never been only about BMX. It is about friendship, and about remembering someone who should still be here. It is about taking something painful and turning it into something positive that can help other local families in Exeter, central and east Devon. He hopes Cookie Jam will inspire others to raise money for causes that matter to them.
“For anyone that’s thinking of raising funds, I’d say give it a go. Do what you’re interested in, do what you’re passionate about.”
Many years after the first Cookie Jam, Jamie Bruce’s memory continues to bring people together – with every rider, every cheer, and every donation helping to create a lasting legacy in his name.
Please hear from Jamie Skinner as he shares the story behind Cookie Jam and explains how this much-loved BMX event came to be in the video below.
