A letter to all cyclists

For those of you who may have missed it, I want to quickly pass along a touching letter that was emailed to the Palmetto Cycling Coalition membership. The letter was written by George Rice, a friend of Tom Hoskins, one of the cyclists who was tragically killed in South Carolina less than two months ago. I think George’s message is a good one; all of us who ride need to give back to cycling and try to make a difference. Sometimes it is hard to find the time, but it is important to remember those who have who have been injured or killed doing what we all love to do. Anyway, I won’t ramble on; here is George’s letter:

There aren't many cyclists who venture out cycling without their sunglasses. Rose colored glasses is a term used to describe something that inhibits us to see things for what they truly are. I had rose colored glasses on when I first thought about the value of membership in groups like the Palmetto Cycling Coalition. I had the selfish agenda of WIIFM (What's In It For Me)?

On October 21, 2007, lives were changed forever. A century ride turned into what I hoped was a horrible dream. Since that day, families, friends, and cyclists have celebrated the lives of two people who put aside selfish ambition to bring light to the tragedies of brain injuries. Tom Hoskins and Lee Ann Barry logged hundreds of miles for the benefit of others. Lee Ann wore a jersey on that beautiful, sunny day, embossed with Spoke n" Word. A church in Kentucky gave it to her. I did a Google search using Spoken Word and one web site that came up was the University of Central Florida Bicycle Team. A member of their cycling team died after being struck on his bicycle the same day, October 21, 2007.

A year prior, I stood in a line of 2000 bicyclists, waiting to finish the second day of the MS ride. We learned of the death of Rachael, who died cycling for the benefit of others. Like others, I have to live with being one of the cyclists who survived. I now know the pain others have felt as they tried to revive someone they had been drafting for or being pulled by earlier in the day.

My high school band performed "One Voice" during our field show. The words include "just one voice, singing in the darkness, all it takes is one voice. If you venture to the PCC website and click on links, you will see rows of bike clubs and bike shops. One hour of your time during 2008 may save the life of a cyclist. One hour writing letters to politicians, one hour sitting in a hearing room with your favorite cycling jersey on, or one hour encouraging someone to keep peddling on their first ride, will make a difference.Prior to October 21, 2007, I didn't see it that way. I was too busy having pitty parties because of the heat, the steep hills, or the lack of a water stop.

You and I can name someone who lived through a bicycle/vehicle collision, or died from the collision. Take a moment, fill out a PCCapplication in appreciation for that saved life or in memory of that life because your one voice singing in the darkness can make a difference.