Despite the gloomy forecast, eighty riders joined us for Pedal for Paws last Saturday. I was disappointed to see the early morning rain, but I'm never disappointed in the stories that come out of the ride.
I hope these photos give you a taste of the event, and what it means to me to do this for our shelter.
Hurricane Irene took out the town's calendar by the highway off-ramps, but two days before the ride, I saw this up in front of the The Kate, our local theater. It made my week.
We have no budget for the ride, so fancy signs like the ones sponsored by companies for the local breast cancer walk are out of the question. But I like to think our paw print directional signs give our ride a certain je ne sais quoi. Logo = everything. Chris and I, and our local bike shop owners, divided up our route and went out in the cars to hang signs the day before.
This one just tickles me. Some rides use spray paint on the roads, but those markings look no different than the phone and gas company etchings...I just know people would get seriously lost without our paw prints to follow.
Registration morning. White spots on camera = rain. I try not to cry. MB and Mrs. SDC sign up our first riders.
Our not-quite-set-up-yet table, where riders could view just some of the beneficiaries of the ride, and buy a T-shirt too.
One of our SAG (support and gear) drivers' cars. They scour the route to make sure no one is lost, hurt, or has a flat tire. I tell them to decorate the vehicles so they will be recognizable...
R and S and D did an awesome job of assisting our riders. R had to pick up one poor rider who missed a turn and got lost twice, but she had a good sense of humor about it.
A group finishes the first 10 miles and is off to finish the next 25.
A family of three starts their ten-mile loop. These kinds of things always make me want to get out the box of kleenex.
Story #1 -- me and Julie. Julie emailed me to say that she was coming FROM IDAHO to ride. She brought a bunch of friends with her that she was visiting with in Rhode Island during the weekend of the ride. She works in rescue in Idaho, and showed us photos of her foster kitty and kittens back home. Instant bonding, I tell you. But that wasn't all...
Story #2 -- A mom and her two children showed up at the registration table. The mom didn't have a bike so at first we were kind of puzzled what to do. Then she explained that she was sponsoring them to ride around the parking lot, and for every lap they did, she would donate $2 to the shelter. We promptly signed them in, gave them wristbands, and off they went. The boy did 10 laps and the girl did 6. They earned their ride T-shirts. You are never too young to make a contribution. I will never forget their commitment to ride for the kitties, and I hope they know how inspiring they were to all of us.
Our local girl scout troop staffed rest stop #2. These young ladies are awesome, as is SDC (second from left) who does the magic with the insurance and makes this all possible.
Post-ride, Chris, his teammates, and friends sample the goodies. Our ride is earning quite the reputation for the baked goods.
The Sawtelles entertained us during lunch. If you love cool indie music, you need to listen to their music now.
Sylvester braved the weather and came out to cheer on the riders. Not many rides have a mascot like we do!
Because I was on the phone a lot, trying to get drivers to riders who needed help, I didn't get all the photos I wanted to, including a photo of Kristen and her husband who came out to ride too. It made me so happy to see a knitting friend enjoy herself on our pretty roads, and I only wish I was able to join her and D.
We were all pretty exhausted by the end, and we still had to go out and take down all the paw print signs. But everyone was already talking about next year, and I have to admit I'm looking forward to it too. I want to top those 200 riders from our first year, and with a warm, sunny day, I know we can do it.
Please do not feel obligated, but if you'd like to contribute to the fundraiser, you can send donations to Forgotten Felines, P.O. Box 734, Clinton, CT 06413 and mark them "Pedal for Paws." Every donation goes to the feeding, shelter, and veterinary bills for our rescued cats.
I like to think she is proud of us. She trained us well. I still miss her like crazy.
Congratulations! The stories you posted were awesome. You do really good work for the shelter.
PS: my older cat likes to hang out too when I exercise. He usually wanders all over the yoga mat and then goes to a chair to nap.
Posted by: Erika | October 07, 2011 at 01:57 AM
Well done you and all the people who you motivated to join in. Of course you still miss her, it takes time for the sadness to go away and the happy memories to take precedence.
Posted by: 2paw | October 07, 2011 at 07:16 AM
I'm glad it went well. Someday we may have to make the trip to participate ...
The mom with the kids had such a great idea - and kids who learn that early usually end up as adults who continue.
I'm sure your girl and your boy are proud of you. :-)
Posted by: Bridget | October 07, 2011 at 09:49 AM
Looks like everyone had a great time and I'm glad the rain mostly stayed away!
Posted by: Sarah | October 07, 2011 at 10:33 AM
Congratulations on what sounds like a second year of great riding. Rudi and I hope to make it up in time one of these years.
Posted by: sprite | October 09, 2011 at 01:58 AM
I'm very glad everything went well, and I was SO sorry to miss the ride! But next year, definitely .... :)
Posted by: Rebecca H. | October 10, 2011 at 08:07 PM
Oh Debbie, that's so awesome!!!! I'm glad this year's event went well despite the rain. I know all those little forgotten kittens love you and appreciate all you've done for them!
Posted by: Karen | October 12, 2011 at 07:42 AM
Ohmygoodness...the mom sponsoring her kids to ride around the parking lot just makes my heart melt. What a wonderful way to let them participate. :D
Posted by: bubblesknits | October 12, 2011 at 10:12 AM
Wow! What an amazing day. All your hard work definitely paid off. I think you made a real impact in the lives of the riders and the kittens. Love to kittens!
Posted by: Kara | October 12, 2011 at 01:21 PM