There’s a whole lot of riding going on. This weekend that is. (If you happen to be in the Waxahachie area this Saturday be sure to check out the Cow Creek Country Classic Ride that we blogged about yesterday.) Another option for wheeled weekend recreation is happening Saturday June 27th in Seymour, Texas. The Wild Pig Pedal put on by the Seymour Chamber of Commerce offers a shorter course and a smaller community. For registration information, check out www.cityofseymour.org/chamberofcommerce/wild-pig-pedal. Chamber Chairman James Stanlee, an active participant and eager fellow rider, tells all below.
Why join your ride?
It is fun, good exercise, and since it is small it gives you a great opportunity to fellowship with other riders. Our ride is challenging enough to practice for other endurance rides. Many people use our ride to prepare for Wichita Falls Hotter than Hell 100.
How long has your ride been around?
2015 is our 6th Annual ride.
What was the motivation behind starting the ride and who benefits from it?
We began the ride to generate tourism and community involvement for the month of June as well as develop a fund raiser for the Chamber.
How have they been able to utilize funds in the past?
The funds are put back into the Chamber to support and promote the next year’s ride and supplement other programs such as our Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day programs , Christmas and rodeo parades, and other annual events. It helps provide a free BBQ lunch and homemade ice cream after the ride. There are always signs to replace, flyers to print, and banners to create. Since the Chamber is membership based it often needs extra funding to help with its mission.
Logistically can you give us an idea of how many volunteers, finances and planning it takes to put on this event?
We have great volunteers who help register, make the homemade ice cream ( our signature!), those who work the 5 rest stops, and sponsor the ride itself which helps pay for the free T-shirts that are distributed to the riders. Because we are small, we work with a small group of dedicated people. Those include staffing from the hospital and many other businesses that man the rest stops (up to 5 each stop), help serve the meal and work the SAG wagons, along with the EMS, the police force, and the county sheriff’s dept who help us make it a safe ride. It probably averages one volunteer/supporter per each participant. We begin the first week after the event while it is fresh on our minds with a wrap-up session. This meeting discusses the rights, the wrongs, the new vision for the next year, and the sharing of stories – our reward for putting on the event. Meetings continue monthly at our Chamber meetings until two months out from the event where we begin our weekly plannings.
What is the most rewarding experience of hosting this event?
Those who volunteer for this event love what they do. That is the glory of having volunteers. They wouldn’t do it if they didn’t like it, unlike say, some paid employees. We enjoy the feedback from the participants. It’s the camaraderie that keeps us excited to invite riders back year after year. We enjoy the opportunity to meet new people with the same common bond. We enjoy the entertaining aspect while the economic impact is certainly an advantage to our businesses. It is our desire that the riders drive away with a happy thought about our community in hopes that they will want to return and more often than to just participate in the annual ride.
What is the average number of participants?
We have about 50 to 60 participants. However, our ride is not necessarily focused on quantity but more about quality. To us, the smaller rides are more personal. We like the one on one contact. We have many who return each year and call us by our first name. However, many admit it is the homemade ice-cream and often request a certain flavor in an early email, this year it is peach and chocolate most requested.
What can folks do to support you and your mission?
Our new brochures say, “We Love Company!” Just being able to promote our community and all the events we do annually, especially this event, is our mission. We really do love tourist and recognize the importance of them for a healthy economy.
Do you ride, and if so, what kind of bicycle do you have?
Yes I do ride, a lot. It is my escape from day to day stress. I get anxious if I can’t ride everyday. I don’t even care if it is raining. Some of my most enjoyable rides have been in rain. I have many stories to tell while preparing for rides all over Texas and Oklahoma. One involves hitting a deer, while another where I was thrown over the hood of a farmer’s pickup truck. Both of those took a little time to recover from but I’m here to tell about it. I must enforce the fact here that neither incidents were on the routes we have chosen for our event. My bicycle is an Orbea with Italian components (gears, etc) and French wheels. It weighs 16 lbs and you might say it is of a European style.
Anything else you’d like to tell folks about this ride?
Our event is not a race. It is designed for any purpose you wish to use it as. If it is endurance, we have the hills and often the wind and the heat. If it is for a family outing we have the friendly rest stops with peanut butter sandwiches! And if you are just trying to beat your own time, we have no time limit. A time limit is often practiced at other rides. We leave no rider behind!! The event is over when the last rider pulls in. And we keep close tabs on all riders. It pleases us when someone finishes that last mile pushing him/herself to overcome the agony they might be enduring. We rejoice when they make it and are there for them when they suffer defeat – never being judgmental – always glad they chose us!