Leo Posch is pictured in his shop in this 2011 photo for the Journal-World's Only in Lawrence section. Friends are raising funds for Posch's medical bills after he seriously injured his head and face in a bicycle accident this past weekend.

After a bike accident led to serious head and face injuries for a Lawrence-area musician and instrument maker, his friends and band-mates are rallying to help his family with medical bills.

Leo Posch builds and repairs guitars, banjos and mandolins from his shop near McLouth, and he plays the banjo in the local band the Midday Ramblers. He was honored in the Journal-World’s first Only in Lawrence section in 2011.

This past weekend, friends say, Posch was riding his bike when an accident caused him to fly forward and land on his face. The accident happened after a dog began chasing him, and he was taken by helicopter to a Topeka hospital.

Friends say Posch broke his jaw, nose and cheekbones and underwent a tracheotomy.

The injuries aren’t life-threatening, said Posch’s band-mate Mike Horan, but he faces a long and likely expensive recovery.

“It’s just going to be a while ’til he’s back to normal,” said Horan, who is also general manager of Mass Street Music in Lawrence, where Posch’s wife works. Posch and his wife have two children.

People can donate to a Leo Posch Medical Fund via PayPal online. Donation links can be found at massstreetmusic.com and at mandolincafe.com, a site run by a friend of Posch’s.

Posch’s fellow Midday Ramblers are also planning a benefit concert involving other local musicians, although details haven’t yet come together, Horan said.

A number of people from the local music community would like to give back to Posch, Horan said, who is the giving type himself.

“He’s just a very friendly guy, and he’s always been real generous with his time and talent, as far as sharing his skills with other people,” Horan said.