Message From the President
The DC Velo Outreach Foundation organized as a way to give back some of the great gifts cycling has given us. These gifts are tangible and intangible and we each have our own story and reason why we stepped forward to volunteer our time and effort.
Our collective effort is cycling safety and education, and mentoring. Among us, we have decades of bike handling skills and hours of stories about "being on the bike." These experiences have shaped us: it is our identity and a big part of WHO we are and HOW we are.
The gifts of strength--physical and mental--and knowledge give us the possibility to lead and mentor others who will benefit from our experiences and talents. The gifts of passion and compassion drive us to volunteer and make a difference in another person's life. The gifts of persistence and humility allow us to lead and be trusted mentors, because we have all failed and succeeded at something while "being on the bike." The gift of wisdom tells us to "pass it on" or as we say "CYCLE ON!" And, this is just what we are doing!
I am very excited about our 2011 projects that include continued involvement in Kids' Cycling Safety, and presenting our First Responder Course to raise awareness of the need to know First Aid and CPR, in the event a cyclist has a medical emergency. We also plan to write new articles on cycling for health and fitness, nutrition and hydration requirements for the sport of cycling, and related topics.
Our most important focus for 2011 will be our partnership with the Ride 2 Recovery Foundation, where we will be leading group rides outdoors and spinning classes indoors at the Bethesda Naval Hospital, for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Keep checking back for updates on all of these projects. You can also check out our sister organization, DC Velo Limited Cycling Team, at www.dcvelo.com, for upcoming races and events. We partner with the DC Velo Team at all team sponsored events.
Please know that while most of us involved in the Foundation are from the DC Velo Cycling Team, we welcome all enthusiastic cyclists and friends of cycling to join us as we widen our community outreach. We hope to have a "blackboard" on our website by next year so that you can volunteer for any of our projects.
Please contact us (see the Contact Us link) if you have any questions, want more information about a particular project, or have ideas and suggestions for us. And, you can make a tax deductible donation on our "Home Page."
I hope to see you out on the roads or trails of the Washington DC Region!
Sincerely,
Catherine Ferguson
President
