January 2007 - Posts

• Tour de Cure Early Bird, Apparel Order, Rider Profile, Winter Training Rides

  Just a few quick hit items today –   The deadline for early bird registration for the Texas Tour de Cure is end of day Friday, 01/26.  Registration is only $15 if you register early; the fee goes up to $20 after that.  (It's $25 to register the day of the ride.)   For more information about the Tour de Cure, including where and how to register, click here.    Make sure you register with team Velo Valero!   All Velo Valero team members who ride in an organized team event (like the Hotter than Salsa, Texas Tour de Cure, and Valero MS 150)  need a current team jersey. (We want to make the company look good, since we are either the presenting or title sponsor for each of these events!)  The Board decided in December to use our 2006 jersey design in 2007, so if you have a current team jersey, you don’t need to order another (unless you want a spare).    To order team apparel (including jerseys, shorts, and bibs), click here.  The deadline for ordering apparel in time for our spring rides is March 8th!   (The next order will be placed in the summer for fall rides.)  Stan Lear and Gwen King are running the team store this year; give them a shout if you have any questions.    All Velo Valero team members need to fill out a 2007 Rider Profile and Waiver of Liability if you plan on participating in any of our training and organized rides this year.  You need to fill this profile out, even if you did so in previous years.  Data we collect from the profile helps us plan our support for the organized rides, and keeps the lawyers off our backs.   Click here to access the profile.   Finally,  Chuck Divelbiss and  John Tenison are leading a series of informal winter training rides this year (weather permitting).  Send an e-mail to John if you want to join in (John.Tenison@valero.com) .   We will begin our formal training schedule no later than the first week in March - we'll keep you posted!   See ya’ on the road!   - Pedro  Posted Jan 25 2007, 09:49 AM by peter.ray@valero.com with no comments

• Velo Valero - News You Can Use in the New Year

  Aloha! I hope each of you enjoyed the holidays and are ready for the new year.  Here's the latest, greatest Velo news - I'm very pleased to announce that the 2007 Velo Valero Board of Directors has been selected.    Click here to learn more about the folks who will keep the Velo juggernaut rolling in 2007. The 2007 Corporate Wellness Fair will be held at Valero Headquarters on Thursday, January 18th, from 10:00 am to 02:00 pm.    Our team will have a booth at the fair, and will be raffling off an MS 150 camelback.  Many of the Board of Directors will be at the booth, so this will be a great chance to meet them.  If you are an employee and existing team member and you bring a new recruit for the team to the booth, we'll give you a free (i.e., no cost) DVD of the 2006 Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach!  Hope to see you there!  Stan Lear and  Gwen King will be running the Team Store this year, and very shortly will begin taking orders for team apparel.   Our spring order must be in by the first week in March, so we need to get cranking on this to insure folks doing spring rides like the Hotter than Salsa, BP 150, and Tour de Cure are wearing Velo colors.  The Board decided in December not to change jerseys in 2007, so if you have a current team jersey, you do not need to order another (unless you want a spare).   Stay tuned for more information on this! Planning is underway for the 2007 Texas Tour de Cure.  Laura Vaccaro, former captain and current Board member in charge of National Team Development, is the event chairperson for the Tour, and many Board and Velo team members are helping out.  On January 9th, Fundraising Board member David Sloan organized a phone bank to call Tour alumni to see if they were planning to ride again this year - click here to learn more about this event.   To learn more about the Texas Tour de Cure, click here.  When you register for the Tour, make sure you register with team Velo Valero! Congratulations to team members Tim Shetina (McKee) and Char Cushman (San Antonio) for being cited in the latest issue of "Fit Valero Champions".   In recent years, Tom and Char both made a serious commitment to fitness that included eating better and exercising regularly (including lots of cycling).   Tom lost 90 pounds and is training for a triathlon with his sons, and Char lost 25 lounds and dropped two sizes!   Give them a hand when you see 'em! Finally, John "the Punisher" Tenison and Chuck "the Rock" Divelbiss are leading a series of San Antonio training rides throughout the winter.   Send an e-mail to John at john.tenison@valero.com if you are interested in joining. See ya' on the road!   Pete Posted Jan 12 2007, 03:43 PM by peter.ray@valero.com with no comments

• Here is your 2007 Velo Valero Board of Directors!

  I'm pleased to introduce the Velo Valero 2007 Board of Directors!    These incredibly dedicated and hardworking cyclists and volunteers form the pace line that will keep the Velo Valero juggernaut rolling throughout the year.  With this Board, I'm following the successful formula on how to run the team developed by Laura (I’m no fool!) - but with a few small changes. As our team continues to grow, we have expanded the size of the Board to keep pace.   We've added some new positions and changed the descriptions of others.  I’ve also doubled up in some areas because of the amount of work involved.    I’m honored and humbled that these people have offered to take on these responsibilities in the coming year.   New faces on the Board this year are in blue.    Peter "El Hefe" Ray – Captain, Ceremonial Figurehead, and Bartender I take the credit and assign the blame.    Laura “the Queen” Vaccaro – National Team Development Laura has graciously offered not to fade into the sunset as a former captain, but to assist in growing the national reach and presence of our team.   Laura travels extensively as part of her work with LEAD, and will be a great ambassador for us.  She will also continue to offer me much needed advice and guidance on running the team.    Eddie Gamez – Refinery Representative Eddie has been an active member of Velo Valero since (at least) 2000.  He is the Plant Controller at the Three Rivers Refinery, and will be our first ever Refinery Representative, insuring that the team does not neglect the needs of our riders at the Valero refineries.  One of the great things about Velo Valero is how the team brings together employees from the different company locations during our organized rides – this will only get better in the years to come!    John “the Punisher” Tenison and  Chuck “the Rock” Divelbiss – Training and Safety John and Chuck are the “Two Horsemen” of the Velo Valero team at Headquarters.   They will continue to lead the training program for our advanced riders, insuring that we do a wide variety of challenging rides throughout the year.  They will also maintain and extend our Safety Education programs.    Patricia “the Funky Pirate” Jones – Treasurer and Membership PJ will continue to manage the books for the team and assist me in developing our first ever annual budget.  (She once told me she was a bean splitter and not a bean counter, but I have no clue what that means.)  She will also assist in maintaining up to date information about our membership.   Patricia also acts as the Official Wine Taster for the team.    Stan Lear and  Gwen King - Team Store  Stan and Gwen will be the team “Quartermasters”, running the team store for us and handling apparel sales (shirts and jerseys).  If there is enough interest, we’ll also try and sell some new items this year, including hats and possibly Velo car decals (why should our kids get all the attention?).       Zora  Bilicich,  Sylvia Rodriguez, and  Andrea "Android" Shull – Intermediate and New Rider Support This is an area where we will focus a lot of attention in 2007.   We want to insure new and intermediate riders have a rigorous training program, both in the gym and on the road, that prepares them for our big, organized rides.    The hardest ride you do is your first, and I want to make sure we do everything possible to insure new riders are successful, and second and third year riders become more confident with each ride.  If you have any ideas in this area, please contact Zora and her “dream team” of Sylvia and Andrea!    David Sloan – Fundraising David has been a top fundraiser for years.   He’s an enthusiastic salesman who could sell ice cubes to Eskimos and birth control to nuns.    He’ll be responsible for our team shared fundraising (t-shirt sales, bake sales, raffles, etc.), in addition to assisting team members with their individual fundraising.    This is a new position for 2007 and David is the right man for the job.    "Prima" Donna Escobar - Rider Education Donna has been a board member for years, and will continue to assist in educating the team on conditioning, nutrition, avoiding injuries, etc.   At the request of some team members, I’ve asked her this year to focus on performance cycling – the tips and techniques hammerheads need to gain the extra edge in their cycling.  Please contact her if this is something you are interested in.    Sammy Nieto and  Lucy Hernandez - Volunteer Coordination Sammy has been the backbone of our Volunteer organization for years, and will continue to do so in 2007.   One of the best things about our team is the support we receive during our organized rides, and that is all the result of the hard work of hundreds of dedicated volunteers.  This year I’ve asked Lucy Hernandez to assist in this area.  Lucy is an energetic volunteer and one of the all time great Valero employees, and she will provide wonderful support to the team (I may even convince her to ride one year!).    Kent “the Hammer” Hamel – Special Events Kent Hamel has been a board member for years, and will continue to assist with special events such as our organized rides and the Pedal Power Workshop.  Kent is a great rider and a party on wheels, and we're glad to have him back.    Patrick Porter – At Large Patrick joined the team in 2006, and made an immediate impact during our rides.   He will occupy our first ever “at large” Board position.  Basically, he’ll be like a utility infielder in baseball, helping wherever he can while learning the ropes.  We are happy to have him on board (base?).    Carl Crawford - Training Support, Special Events The Board voted in August of 2007 to add Carl Crawford fill the vacancy created when Ken Mayfield moved to NuStar.  Carl has been a member of Velo Valero for many years, and will assist us primarily in coordinating and leading rides on the East and Northeast parts of town.     Ken Mayfield - Special Events Ken Mayfield has been a Velo Valero member for years as both a rider and a volunteer.   Many of you will remember him running the Massage Tent and the SAG support at the MS 150 in years past, in addition to being a very strong rider in events such as the Tour de Cure and the Hotter Than Hell.    NOTE:  Ken Mayfield resigned for the 2007 Board in June, due to the fact that he is now captain of the NuStar team.  We wish Ken all the best in his new role!   Please join me in welcoming your 2007 Board of Directors!   See ya' on the road!   - Pete Posted Jan 12 2007, 09:43 AM by peter.ray@valero.com with no comments

• Phone Bank for Texas Tour de Cure Alumni Recruiting

  Here's a Tour de Cure news flash from team member David Sloan, who coordinated the phone bank.   On Monday evening,  January 9,  Valero hosted a phone bank for the American Diabetes Association's Texas Tour De Cure.  The volunteers were calling people who had ridden in previous Texas Tour De Cure rides, and encouraging them to register for this year's ride.  Tour De Cure is  a bicycling event and is one of the major fund raisers for the American Diabetes Association .  This year's ride is planned for May 19 - 20.   Cindy Rodriguez is the San Antonio Associate Manager for the American Diabetes Association.   The entire list of volunteers who worked the phone bank follows:   Cindy Rodriguez - American Diabetes Association Laura Vaccaro - Tour de Cure Event Chairperson H. David Sloan - Volunteer Coordinator for the phone bank  Maureen Sloan - Volunteer (David's spouse) Christa Sloan - Volunteer (David's daughter) Char Cushman Augustine Elizondo Patricia Jones Alma Lara  Stephen Long Patrick Porter  David Pappal Jeff Ritcheson Elaina Snow Cindy Rodriguez   Patrick Porter Elaina Snow   Valero is a Presenting Sponsor for this  year's Tour De Cure , and Tour De Cure is one of Velo Valero's supported fund raisers for this year.   Last year Velo Valero raised over $44,000 during the Texas Tour de Cure. We were the Top Fundraiser and the Top Corporate team for the third year in a row. Velo Valero Chapters in California and Pennsylvania rode in Tour de Cure events also, raising our national total to almost $77,000. - David Posted Jan 10 2007, 11:52 AM by peter.ray@valero.com with no comments