Notes From Steve Bouchard- Operations Manager
Life is like a bicycle…
The Boston ride on Saturday was a great success! The enthusiasm at the event was awesome! We received so much support from local bike clubs, riders and community members. Thank you to everyone who showed up to ride for a great cause. Thank you Paula and Charlotte for all your help in organizing a great event!
On Sunday we participated in the Philadelphia LIVESTRONG challenge. Lance Armstrong was the first to leave the start line and (not suprisingly) the first to finish with an almost unbelievable time of 3.5 hours! Charlotte rode the 40 mi. route, while Jim and Gary attacked the century.
The energy at this event could be felt in the air, along with the heat and humidity. As the bikers biked, Marin and I logged onto Wi-Fi and took care of business. Marin scored us a hotel - nice job! And Brian at Panera let us print and fax, like a regular business center - thanks for all your help and delicious coffee and pastry puffs, mmmm! The conclusion of the ride brought us all back together - Family, Friends and Team Members. We gathered to eat and drink and celebrate another ride completed. We shared stories and reflected on what is driving us to do this. But I know that each of us is driven by something different. We all have different goals, aspirations and reasons for being involved in Ride For Your Life. Despite these differences, we are all committed to the final goal: Riding 5,000 Miles on a bicycle to Engage, Educate and Empower those affected by cancer. This can not happen without a tremendous amount of selfless team work, which has been evident to me for these first 9 days. As we enter day 10 and mile 1,000 I hope that the next 40 days will be as smooth as the first 10. We have met many great people along the way and our team members are no different. Last night I found my motivation. Our team may have changed, but our mission remains. A sincere thank you to everyone who has helped us get this far.New Jersey:
The Rumph’s and McGrady’s were nice enough to house, feed and clean this motley crew. We rolled up in style with Vantasoarass last night and were fed a feast of pasta, chicken, grilled vegetables and salad. It was DELICIOUS and NUTRITIOUS. Thank you so much for your hospitality. Early to bed and early to rise…
With one down and 48.5 to go, Gary is feeling really good. Dropped him off this morning to start his ride at Brookdale Community College in Fair Haven, NJ. Just spoke with him and he’s already at mile 42+. Making great time, just watch out for the jug-handles…
Our plan today is to divide and conquer, in order to execute Gary’s list of tasks. Charlotte, Jacea and Kate are traveling around buying some supplies. Me and Marin are downloading pictures and working on cue sheets. We just met some nice folks interested in the ride and wish Gary best of luck and a safe journey. Off for a donated lunch from Tavolo Pronto after the ride and then on to the Empire State. More to come soon.
Steve B.