To our Dear Friends and Bike Family,
I remember so many moments from the last eighteen years since I joined BIKE VIRGINIA. There are funny moments that could only happen at the tour like having to hire a stranger in McDonalds to haul a portable toilet that we ‘borrowed’ from a festival when ours didn’t get delivered.
The middle of the night fire alarms when we were already zombies from days without breaks.
Lost luggage trucks. Stolen signs. Missing caterers.
And, all the hugs and smiles. The memories shared by families and friends who came for the joy of being together.
The dogs we adopted for the day to keep them out of the road.
How our families came together to work beside us for exhausting days and sleepless nights.
Every possible scenario happening to a rental vehicle driven by our team and volunteers.
And then there are the moments that hold on for a different reason. Fatal accidents. Injuries that changed a life in the blink of an eye. The passing of friends and volunteers that had been close to our hearts.
It’s been the hardest job I’ve ever had and the most joyous.
Keeping the wheels rolling hasn’t been easy. There were constant financial and logistical challenges. But I had the best team on earth. and worked for the most supportive Board of Directors. Without each of those special people, the magic couldn’t have happened.
You’ve seen them. They worked their hearts out at the events, made sure everything was in place before you arrived, stayed up late at night to make sure everyone was tucked in safe.
It’s sad to face this time when the tour and the organization comes to a close.
We never recovered from the losses associated with COVID.
Times changed. People learned to live and ride differently. Events across the country disappeared one by one.
Our colleagues and peers across the country were all joining together to save something that we truly believe is special. But just like us, the vast majority of biking events have closed.
With heart-felt effort the BIKE VIRGINIA team and board tried and tried to pull us up and give us new life-blood.
We’ve come to the end of the road. Exhausted our resources and haven’t found a way forward. But it’s not because we didn’t want to and didn’t try.
We miss you. I miss you. Summer won’t be the same without the chaos and joy of days on the road together.
Be well, BIKE VIRGINIA family.
Thank you for 18 wonderful years in my life, and nearly 40 years for the organization and of course for the miles and miles of smiles.
Keep pedaling and think of fun times shared by all.