December 2007 - Posts

• Happy Holidays!

  I'll keep this short and sweet, since I know everyone is busily preparing for the holidays... ...I'll be taking some time off from work, so this will be the last blog for a while.  Before I leave the proverbial building, I wanted to put together a photo collection from all of the big rides and events we were part of this year, just to help remind each of you of the incredible year we had as a team, and the many extraordinary things we accomplished.   As I look at the pictures, I am both honored and humbled that you have the trust and confidence in me to be the leader of this unbelievable organization, and I'm looking forward to an even better year in 2008 for the team, for our friends and families, and for the the communities and causes we support.  Finally, I wanted to take one last opportunity to thank the Board of Directors for providing so much support to me throughout the year, and all the Team Captains from throughout the country who helped Velo Valero achieve amazing things for the first time on a national level.  They are the ones that provide the real pedal power for this team. To see our 2008 Ride Schedule, click here.  If you have any suggestions on rides, send them to cycling@valero.com. Enjoy the holidays - you deserve it! The Jalapeno 100 - Rod and Isabel enjoy a beer after a long ride Hotter than Salsa - The rain scared off everyone but these guys Tour de Cure photo shoot in front of Valero HQ - Where's Jacque's helmet???? Spring Board Retreat - I almost froze my Board to death... Fiesta Wildflower Ride - There are some Velo Valero riders in there somewhere... Napa Tour de Cure - Click here for Alan Dedman's account Texas Tour de Cure - Animal House on Wheels - with a little Texas toobin' thrown in... Philadelphia Tour de Cure - Stephanie did such a great job building her Delaware team! Long Beach Tour de Cure - click here for Alan Dedman's account  Baton Rouge Tour de Cure - What a ride and what an adventure! Hotter than Hell - Click here for David Sloan's account of the ride MS 150 Kickoff Party - What a good looking team! (I'll be saying this again later...) Fall Board Retreat - I can barely reach the top of Chase's head... Fall Kickoff Training Ride - Why is no one looking at the camera?? Conquer the Coast - Posing in the rain by the Selena Memorial Pancake Ride - Celebrating Lori's big Three-O after the ride Southside Training ride with Toyota Team - By far, the foggiest and doggiest ride of the year!   San Antonio City Hall - I got to meet the mayor!  I got to meet the mayor! Oklahoma MS 150 Long Beach MS 150 Bay to Bay Bike to the Beach team tent - Who was that Elvis and why did he cost me $100??? Monika and Team from Krotz Springs pose with CEO Bill Klesse - Monika did such a great job building her team this year! Bike to the Beach finish line - What a way to end a great weekend! MS National Conference - I was so proud to represent the team at this event!  Tour de Gruene - One of the prettiest rides of the year Mission to Mission - First ride I did after Lasik...it was amazing to see so many things along the way for the first time! MS 150 Awards Banquet - Once again - what a good looking team! Last ride of the year - El Hefe, the Funky Pirate, the Punisher, and the Rock at the Waring General store.    Valero CEO Bill Klesse, our Top Fundraiser for 2007.  Bill's commitment to the team, both as a rider and a fundraiser, was a huge reason for our success this year. See ya' on the road next year! - Peter Posted Dec 20 2007, 05:27 PM by peter.ray@valero.com with no comments

• Winter Rides, Amazing Stories from an Amazing Team, Fundraising Update, MS 150 Photos

  Greetings and happy end of the week!  I'm writing this on Thursday afternoon, a few hours before the annual Valero Christmas party.  This party is so cool because we invite disadvantaged groups from all over the city and feed and entertain them, with many of our top executives acting as waiters.   I'll be singing once again with the Valero Choir, even though I have the type of voice that can wake the dead and scare babies.  This only shows that if you hang around a company long enough, they will let you do anything!  But seriously - I love the Christmas Party and volunteer every year because it's such a beautiful expression of Valero's caring and sharing spirit (more on this later).   Winter Rides Well, just because's it's December doesn't mean you should take a break from all physical exercise and wallow in a sea of excess calories.   As in years past, we'll try to maintain some semblance of a ride schedule throughout the winter to help you stay in shape, based as always on the weather and the availability of folks to lead the rides.  This weekend John Tenison and Carl Crawford have agreed to get back on the road for us - check our Ride Schedule for details.  Amazing Stories from an Amazing Team As you know, our team consists of an amazing cast of riders, volunteers, friends, and family members.    I tried to highlight a few of them for you with our New Rider of the Week profiles this year, and will continue to do so in 2008.  But there are two stories out there that are so good about some of your team members that I just have to share them now.  Dora Esparza has been on the team almost as long as I have.  She and her pal Jacque are two of the funnest and friendliest people I know and are always such a joy to be around.  Dora was unable to train for the Valero Bike to the Beach this year because she was finishing her last semester at Incarnate Word University.  But she came out and rode both days and made it to the finish line.  Here's what she sent me in November - ...I just want you to know the sacrifices I made for the MS150.  Since I missed school on Saturday for the MS150, I can't go home for Thanksgiving.  In fact, my grade is also going to reflect my missing class that day.  If I miss another Saturday class, I will not be able to graduate in December.  I just had to share that with you so that you know how much I care about our team and the cause! I'm proud to say she just recently graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences.    This is such an incredible accomplishment, because in addition to being a student grinding through her last semester and a cyclist who did the entire Bike to the Beach, she was also a full-time Valero employee and a parent of two teenage kids - which, as I know all too well, is a full-time job in itself.  And, yet she still managed to graduate with honors!  Her dedication and focus were amazing - I don't know how many times I saw her in the gym, churning away on the Stairmaster while poring over some huge text book.  Next time you see her, give Dora her props - it's riders like her that make our team so special. Dora and her daughters at the 2007 Texas Tour de Cure Finally, Diane Mitchell, your team member who works in the Valero Corporate Communications department, is now engaged.  Diane has been a member of Velo Valero for many years, and was a sidekick of mine back in the day on many a ride where we would talk non-stop for hours and hours about every subject under the sun, totally oblivous to how many miles we had pedaled.  Diane has been dating a guy named Pat who is also on our team -  the two of them rode the MS 150 together this year.  Pat and Diane were introduced by former Valero employee Julie Bedell and her late husband and Velo Valero team member, Jerry Bedell.  Well, Pat proposed to Diane in Venice earlier this year - at night, under a nearly full moon - you can't get much more romantic than that!   Congratulations Pat and Diane - we wish you well! Engagement announcement Pat and Diane in DC earlier this year Fundraising Update The final numbers are almost in for our 2007 fundraising for the MS 150, and I'm very happy with what we accomplished.  Our current total is almost $223,000, which is 11% higher than we raised last year.  We accomplished this with a smaller team than we had last year - 214 vs. 246 riders (see below).  When we took over the team this year, the Board and I made it abundantly clear that we require team members to raise at least the minimum in the fundraising events we participate in.   I'm sure this scared a few potential team members off and led to a smaller team size for the Bike to the Beach - but this is a risk I'm willing to take.  I want everyone to remember that community service is one of the key components of our mission as a cycling team, because it is one of the core values of our sponsoring company, Valero Energy Corporation.   I'm proud of so many things we did this year, but I'm really proud that we raised more money for MS with a smaller, more focused team - to see the final fundraising totals, click here.  Thanks to all of you for your hard work! The team was smaller than we've been in the last 2 years, but our fundraising was higher...and that's what really matters! ...This holiday season, pause to reflect on the amazing things we accomplished as a team.  Riders wearing the Velo Valero colors participated in American Diabetes Association and Multiple Sclerosis events across the country and collectively raised over $350,000 to fund research to battle these crippling diseases.   During this season of giving, be proud of the fact that we as a team have been generously giving with our time and talents all year, and we are making a difference - this is why we ride, and this is why being Captain of this team is the best unpaid job in the world!  One of my favorite pictures from this year - Alan Dedman and some of the riders and volunteers from the Wiilmington Team celebrate at the finish line of the 2007 Long Beach Tour de Cure. I like this because it expresses so well our core values of fitness, friendship, family, and community service.   MS 150 Bike to the Beach Photos Just because I'm such a nice guy, I went through the vast, sprawling gallery of Official MS 150 Bike to the Beach photos and pulled out the best ones that included Velo team members.  These have been posted to our team 2007 Bike to the Beach gallery - click here to check them out.  There are some classics - for example, check this one of Alan and his dog at the Day 2 finish line. See ya' on the road! - Peter Posted Dec 13 2007, 10:53 AM by peter.ray@valero.com with no comments

• MS 150 Awards Banquet, Valero to Sponsor MS 150 for 3 More Years!

  Good morning and happy Friday - the happiest day of the week!   Since we are now officially into the winter holiday season, it's time to dust off one of my favorite team graphics - i.e., the Velo Valero Cycling Santa.  Board Member and graphics guru Zora Bilicich did this for us last year, and I have to say, I never get tired of looking at it...and just how does he pedal that thing with such short legs????? Valero MS 150 Awards Banquet Well, the Valero MS 150 Awards Banquet was held Wednesday night at Cowboy's.   A handful of riders and volunteers braved the rush hour traffic to attend.  Velo Valero won a number of awards, as usual - we did not win as many as we did in the past, but we won all the ones that really matter: Most Spirited Team (tied with the Iraqi Freedom Fighters) - I accepted this award with super-volunteer Lucy Hernandez, who did so much to create a "spirited" Saturday night team tent experience for us.   I'm so proud of winning this for a second year in a row, because you weren't allowed to vote for your own team in this category - this means all the non-Velo Valero teams and riders voted for us!       Top Fundraising Team ($223,000 and counting) - After being the first team in the history of the event to reach $200,000 last year, we are now the first to approach a quarter million.   I let David Sloan, our Board Member in charge of Fundraising, take this award home, because he has done so much over the years to help us become the fundraising machine we are today.  Not only is he one of our top fundraisers in every event we participate in year after year, he is also so very generous with his time and talents when it comes to helping others achieve their fundraising goals. Top Individual Fundraiser (Valero CEO Bill Klesse, $60,000) - Board Member and former team Captain Laura Vaccaro accepted this award on behalf of Bill, who was unable to attend.  Laura gave a beautiful speech which reviewed Bill's unbelievable commitment to this event, both as a top fundraiser and as a rider.    A few pictures from the event are below - to see the whole gallery, click here. Riders and volunteers accepting the award that matters most - the Top Fundraising Team.   Words cannot express my pride in what we accomplished! Sylvia and Laura accept the Top Individual Fundraising Award on behalf of CEO Bill Klesse Fundraising guru David Sloan beams with pride as he shows off his well-deserved bling Valero to Sponsor MS 150 Bike to the Beach Until 2011 At the banquet, Tony Ralf from the MS Society made a wonderful announcement - Valero Energy Corporation has agreed to sponsor the MS 150 Bike to the Beach for three more years after the current contract expires in 2008.  This means Valero will be the title sponsor until the year 2011 - I'm looking forward to growing this event and growing the contribution we make to finding a cure for MS, and I'm certain that with the support of such a great company, we are going to do just that. See ya' on the road! - Peter   Posted Dec 06 2007, 05:40 PM by peter.ray@valero.com with no comments

• M2M, Awards Banquet

  Good morning and happy Monday! M2M Well, the Mission to Mission ride was held this Saturday, and we had a small but enthusiastic turnout.   I did the shorter route with a handful of Scouts and parents so don't know how the longer routes were, but I enjoyed it like I do every year.   The San Antonio River seemed to have more flow than ever, and there were plenty of migratory birds along the way to keep things interesting.   I love to visit the Missions because they always serve to remind of me of what life was like in South Texas before the chaos and spawl of Stone Oak and Super Target and the endless road construction that characterizes much of our fair city today.  And, those that know me well know that I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the Mission Trail because this is where I got my start as a cyclist in 2000 with folks like John, Zora, and Sharon.    Here's are some photos from the M2M - to see the complete gallery, click here. Team members and Scouts at the ride start - check out PJ in the Boomer Sooner colors! ...Not so serious group photo at Mission San Juan Group shot in front of Mission Espada The boys pose with one of the Espada cats ....To be honest, there was also a little sadness to the event because this ride officially marked the end of our cycling season as a team - and what an incredible season this has been!!!!  We accomplished so much and had so many great times together that it's hard to accept that's it's over.  The only thing that eases the pain is the thought that I know that 2008 wil be even bigger and better than ever (more on this to come).  Thanks for allowing me to have the honor and the pleasure of being your Captain (more on this to come, also!). MS 150 Awards Banquet I promise this is the last time I'll send something out about this. I'd love  to see as many of the MS 150 Bike to the Beach riders and volunteers at this event as possible.      The 2007 Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach Awards Banquet is scheduled for Wednesday, December 5th, from 05:30 to 07:30 pm.  For more details, click here.  See ya' on the road! - El Hefe Posted Dec 02 2007, 08:38 PM by peter.ray@valero.com with no comments