2012 – Switching Cassettes for the Long Ride
This may sound trivial but WOW, the year has flown by. Those
of us with POP’s Ride are amazed at how quickly we have arrived at the new year.
The Team has been busy this year but not busy enough for the
likes of Shannon , Kyle and Shane (SKS). These three have the constant burning
they could have done more….they should have done more. Lucky for them, the Team
has been supportive and kept them grounded and constantly aware of all that was
accomplished.
In April, POP’s members rode in the Arizona MS150 and helped
with a rest stop. Few know the importance of the MS150 to SKS – for it is on
these rides that their love for cycling and making a difference formed. It is on the
training rides for MS that their friendship turned into the bond they have today. It is the
MS150, that taught them how to organize a successful event. To Brandee, Sarah
and Rachel – thank you!
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| Shane, Shannon & Keith at Big Ring Century |
The Team participated in the Baehr Challenge for Parkinson’s
in April. This is a great event in Arizona
Our friendship with the Baehr’s is growing and we all have
great expectations on how we can have an impact on Parkinson’s.
Then came summer and we continued our plan for making POP’s
widely known. Shane and Shannon rode in the Big Ring Challenge in Newport Beach
In June, Shane rode with 11 others with the Davis Phinney Foundation in the 2012 Ride the Rockies (picture below) . Yes, Pops
was there at every rest stop cheering on the riders with his smile and camera. This team of 12 rode 442 miles
over six days and climbed almost 24,000 feet while spreading the word about
Parkinson’s and wearing a custom jersey everyone else wanted. Of course, there were
about 2,000 other riders to talk to about Parkinson’s. Everyone but those on the team
were amazed to learn two of the riders were riding with Parkinson’s.
We are amazed with how many people have heard of our small
organization. People we don’t know see our shirts and hats and say, “I’ve heard
of POP’s”. This is very humbling for three guys who simply ride bike.
During the summer, we became Pedal Over Parkinson’s Inc, an Arizona Corporation! We received our Federal Tax ID number and had our first Board of Directors meeting. The Board consists of Shannon, Shane, Kyle, Rachel Baderman and Carole Hogg. Yes, this is the same Rachel from the MS rides. Thanks Rachel for joining our Board and sharing your knowledge and vision. Carole is an “outside” Board member. She doesn’t ride…yet…and is not involved with the regular planning of our events. Carole comes to us with an incredible dedication to our cause and the directive of challenging SKS to stay focused and keep pushing on.
Pops was also busy during the summer training. His new
son-in-law, Tracy Swartz, got the bike bug and started riding with the family. He
bought a new bike and has completed many rides with Pops. You should ask Tracy
Our “adopted” brother Carl Ames rode in the Copper Triangle
with his son Jordan. Carl has also been busy planning pancake breakfasts, joining
Parkinson’s Boards and meeting with individuals recently diagnosed with
Parkinson’s.
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| El Tour - El Groupo |
We rode in the Tour de Scottsdale and the Tour de Tucson.
The Team also worked with Parktoberfest to plan a 5k run and a 5k fun
ride.
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| Parktoberfest 5k run |
During one of our meetings, the question was asked if the
Team wanted to plan another long distance ride. The response was a window
shattering YES! The decision was made to ride from Vancouver , BC Canada
We have also written a Mission Statement:
POP’s is an organization dedicated to raising awareness and support for those impacted by Parkinson’s.
We believe this clearly defines our goal – supporting those
impacted by Parkinson’s. We are not focusing on research but helping those impacted
by Parkinson’s learn how to live a full, and possibly better, life with the
disease.
Of course we can’t recap the year without updating everyone
on how Pops and Carl are doing. The
disease is continuing to impact their lives – but they haven’t stopped. In
fact, they push us to do more and always encourage the Team to
keep moving forward. Sometimes, we wonder who is supporting who.
As the title states, we are preparing our (your)
organization for the long ride. Unlike some other diseases, Parkinson’s is not a sprint but a long
and challenging ride with many ascents and descents. Some days the wind is blowing in
your favor and others it is a constant irritant.
Whatever happens you must keep going – just shift into the
granny gear and keep pedaling!
Thank you all for your continued support and interest in our
organization.
For more information about POPs Ride - check out our website www.popsride.com and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/POPsRide
