I rode my bike into work today with Mike, and my legs are still tingling - what a great way to start the day! Just a few quick notes today -
Long Beach Tour de Cure
Received this note last night from Wilmington Team Captain Bob Roger who will be riding the Long Beach Tour de Cure tomorrow -
We got some great news from Valero Wilmington yesterday. Their donation will enable our team to have our own tent at the finish of the race. It may also place us as the top fundraiser for the event - very exciting! Thanks again for everything, Bob.
Thank you and all your riders Bob! You guys have a safe ride tomorrow and I look forward to seeing the pictures and hearing the stories next week.
Deadline for San Antonio Tour de Cure Fundraising
One last reminder on this - This Saturday, June 14, is the deadline for fundraising for the San Antonio Tour de Cure. If you are turning in money, you need to do so to the ADA offices by end of day Friday, June 13. If you are contributing on-line, you can do so until midnight on Saturday, June 14. Please check your current fundraising level by clicking here. If you are above $250, you are eligible for one of many different prizes from the ADA - click here to see the various prizes for the various fundraising levels. Based on your final fundraising totals at midnight on Saturday, you will be mailed a certificate that can be redeemed for one of the many amazing prizes at the level you have achieved.
Baton Rouge Tour de Cure Photos, Including the Flat Peter Series
Well, I finally posted some of Chase Shull's photo's from the Baton Rouge Tour de Cure, including the Flat Peter series that Andrea "Skyscraper" Shull instigated (which, I admit, are really quite funny). To see all the photos, click here. Hats off to Chase for doing an another amazing job photographing the team on the road - the man is an artist!
Energy is Building for the Bike to the Beach
Wow! As of today, we have 107 people signed up for the Bike MS: Valero Bike to the Beach. We were the team that added the most riders (38) during the recruiting campaign the last week in May, which entitles us to free breakfast tacos courtesy of MS during one of our training rides this summer. According to Tony Ralf from MS, registrations are up 86% over where they were this time last year - and the event is still four months away! Tomorrow I'll join Board Members Andrea, Slyvia, and Eddie along with a bunch of other folks and head to Corpus Christi to ride the last leg of the Bike to the Beach route to test out the new finish line that is being considered. I'll bring the Action Cam and film the causeway and the bridges so that each of you can share in the excitement of what MS has planned for us this year. We have so many incredible things already in motion - from the New V Crew new rider program to the top secret Saturday Night Team Experience Luz is working on - that I can barely contain myself. I can say with 100% certainty that this will be our best Bike to the Beach ever. If you haven't signed up yet, what are you waiting for - click here to see all the details of this year's ride!
You Are An Ambassador for Valero Culture
....At the Valero Volunteer Appreciation event yesterday, CEO and Velo Valero team member Bill Klesse gave a wonderful speech stressing the importance of volunteerism at Valero at a time when consumers are openly hostile towards us because of high fuel prices. Each time we ride our bikes wearing the Valero logo on our jerseys, we are acting as ambassadors for the good things about Valero culture - things like our commitment to safety, and our commitment to improving the communities in which we live through our volunteer activities. I'll always remember the lady in Napa earlier this year who told me she would only buy gas from Valero from now on because the guys on our team were such gentlemen - that my friends is the best advertising money can't buy, and makes everything we do worth it. Think about that as you train this summer, and participate in events like the ADA and MS rides. We are making a difference, and that's why we ride.
Oh one last little detail - During the event, Mr. Klesse indicated that he is planning on riding the Bike to the Beach again this year, and has already started training - way to go, Bill! We're glad to have you riding with us again, and look forward to seeing you at the finish line in Corpus Christi!
Bill Klesse, Valero CEO and #1 Fundraiser, crossing the finish line at last year's Bike to the Beach
See ya' on the road!
- Flat Peter