The Hot Rocks Bicycle Race and Ride, fundraiser for Rockwall Rotary Club invites you to join their ride on August 11, 2012 starting at Wilkerson/Sanders Memorial Field, Rockwall
We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Bart Miller, coordinator of Hot Rocks Bicycle Race and Ride to ask some questions about their upcoming ride.
Why join this year’s Hot Rocks Bicycle Race and Ride?
It is a great experience, a real community event put on by Rockwall Rotary Club’s 100+ members. Free Food after the race courtesy of Applebee’s and all the ice cream you can eat courtesy of Blue Bell. Our ride has greatly improved routes over previous years – thanks in large part to the recently completed John King Blvd/I-30 interchange. This enables us to fully utilize this four lane, concrete divided roadway and keep our riders off the I-30 service road,
How long has the event been around?
This is the 27th consecutive year for Hot Rocks, which started in 1986.
What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it? How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?
The ride is the main fundraiser for Rockwall Rotary Club. It first started as a way for us to meet our obligatins as a part of Rotary International’s efforts to wipe out polio worldwide (this is an amazing program, http://www.rotary.org/en/EndPolio/Pages/ridefault.aspx). It now funds scholarships for graduating high school seniors and other community outreach programs.
Can we get a TCX or GPX file included for download? Over 63% of folks say they are more up to attend a ride for which they have information about the routes for their on-bike devices.
Thanks for the kick in the pants. I meant to do that months ago. They are attached and should be available on our website, www.hotrocksbikerace.com later this week.
Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?
We will have about 150 volunteers and expect about 900 riders. Our costs will be almost $15,000 to put on the ride, However, all of these costs are underwritten. Every penny of entry fees should go directly to Rockwall Rotary’s community outreach programs.
What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?
I worked on the scholarship selection committee for several years and got to present the scholarships at the schools’ awards ceremonies. Although Rockwall is a fairly affluent community, there were plenty of very deserving students for whom college was not an option without help fromscholarships like ours. Being a part of helping a young person be the first one, ever, in their family to get a college education, is a very rewarding and humbling experience.
What is the average number of participants per year? How many riders do you assist during the average race?
Our peak attendance was about 1200 riders. A period of heavy road construction in the area (WHICH IS NOW COMPLETE- YEA!!), combined with competition from some newer rides, has had us cloer to 900 riders the last few years. We are developing a 5-year plan to significantly improve the awareness of this fantastic event.
What was the most unforgettable experience or worst accident you had in this event? (prefer the rewarding/unforgettable experience ;o))
Over 27 years we have naturally had a few spills and riders with health issues, but nothing major. The community involvement is the strength of the ride. It is very safe. We have excellent coverage by local police and sherriff, EMS, and radio operators. Watching those professionals handle situations, always makes you feel grateful and lucky to have them.
What can folks do to support you and your mission?
Come out and enjoy a great ride with lots of food and fellowship afterwards. We have also started a raffle this year to aid in our fundraising. Buy a bunch of tickets for a chance at some great prizes that really show off what Rockwall has to offer. See our website, www.hotraocksbikerace.com, for a full listing of prizes.
What is your role in this race and to the success of it?
Having done this for 27 years, our members really know what they need to do on race day. My role is coordinatiing all those parts, publicity, and, of course, fund-raising.
Do you ride and if yes, what kind of bicycle do you ride and what is your favorite route in your area? Which are your top 3 favorite MUST DO rides in Texas (besides your own)?
I have not ridden regularly since I was in college, but my must do rides would be anything put on by another Rotary Club (i.e. the Mesquite and Waxahachie rides). They are great organizations that really do make a difference in their communities.
If you had to come up with a David Letterman style top 10 about the race, what would it read like?
10) Great prep for the Hotter’n Hell 100 two weeks later
9) Excellent way to sweat-out any impurities in your system
8) Seriously, lots of Blue Bell snacks afterwards. We have never run out.
7) Great new changes to our routes, to make it a much better experience.
6) An Awesome T-Shirt
5) Five Golden Rings (da-dum-dum-dum)
4) A fantastic raffle that will leave you begging for the chance to buy more tickets
3) Free Lunch provided by Applebee’s
2) Be pampered by the most appreciative race organizers you will ever meet.
1) Have fun helping a great cause!
Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?
- New routes
- Great Food
- Showers available after the race
- A great time – you will be glad you came!
Thanks Bart for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!
Click here to view the event details of the Hot Rocks Bicycle Race and Ride 2012