Fighting Hunger from the Saddle

Today I rode the 5th Annual Wheels to Meals ride that benefits St LEO Food Connection (one of my three reasons to ride this summer).  Thanks to the generosity of others, I raised $225 for this great organization.

The ride started on the edge of Puyallup, WA at the WSU campus.  It was raining lightly when I started on the 56 mile course a little before 8am.  I chatted with the only two other riders I encountered, a couple that lived nearby and who had ridden Wheels to Meals before.  We sauntered together along the Foothills Trail for a while, until I decided I needed a faster pace.

Mt. Rainier is hiding here somewhere

The trail roughly follows the Carbon River through Orting and South Prairie.  There were rest stops every 12 miles or so, and I found myself stopping to grab a little something at each one and to thank the volunteers for supporting the event.  Although over 200 riders pre-registered for the event, I saw very few of them on the course.

In Buckley

Lake Tapps

The descent into Sumner

The director of Food Connection, Kevin Glacken-Coley, said a few words of thanks to the riders and volunteers.  Kevin explained how Food Connections Backpack Program feeds nearly 350 students during the school year and that during the summer they will be operating over 20 food distribution locations throughout Pierce County so that many of those same children will have access to the food they otherwise wouldn't have.  

 

Kevin also likes to point out that you shouldn't have a ride against hunger and be hungry yourself!  So there was a very tasty taco bar at the finish, complimentary Harmon Ale and Washington wine, and root beer floats.  This was after the five (six?) rest-stops that were well stocked with fruit, home-made granola bars, chocolate-covered rice crispie treats...I was stuffed.

According to my records, this was my longest ride for me since last year's Courage Classic, and I was feeling it.  Between the lack of training and a lingering cough, every mile after about 30 was a struggle.  Hopefully I'll have a chance to get a few more long rides under my belt before the Seattle LIVESTRONG ride on June 20.  I'm really looking forward to it.

Now go find your own reason to ride!

Three More Reasons to Ride

There are many great reasons to ride bikes, but I need to tell you about three of them.

This summer I will ride in three fundraising events for causes that I am personally committed to supporting with my time, sweat, voice, and pocket book.  If you feel compelled to support these causes with your own pocket book, the buttons to the right make donating online easy.  I've already paid the registration fees, so 100% of your donation will directly support the cause.  All of my fundraising goals are set at twice the required minimum for participants.  This is no small task and I would greatly appreciate your support on any of these challenging rides.  Many thanks.

Courage Classic - Cascade Mountains - 174 miles, 3 days   (donate here)
The ride supports a Rotary Club endowment for the Child Abuse Intervention Department at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma.  The endowment is the single largest source of funding for this department and without it, many abused children in Pierce County would not have anyone advocating for their safety and well-being.  This will be the third year that I've participated in this event.  In previous years I've ridden my Xtracycle, but if you'd like to make a huge pledge in exchange for me doing an insanely stupid human trick (like riding my bucket bike over three mountain passes), email me with your proposal! (matt dot newport gmail)

LiveStrong Challenge - Seattle - 100 miles, 1 day    (donate here)
We've all been affected by cancer somehow, if not personally than through people we know and love.  My sister-in-law survived Hodgkin's lymphoma in her twenties.  My grandfather survived prostate cancer.  I ride bikes with a breast cancer survivor.  These battles for survival are tough, but they do not need to be fought alone.  The Lance Armstrong Foundation provides cancer resources and support to help more people survive cancer.  This is what the yellow bracelets are all about - helping people to fight cancer and win.

Wheels to Meals - Puyallup Valley - 75 miles, 1 day   (donate here)
This ride supports the largest food bank in Pierce County, St. Leo Food Connection.  Food Connection also runs other programs in the area to help fight hunger, notably their Backpack Program that gives weekend meals to elementary school students during the school year.  Recently they've started a fruit orchard so that they can provide locally produced food for their clients.  I will personally donate $5 for every person that makes a donation through my site before June 6!

Again, thanks for reading and for your support!

-Matt