2009 SPRING FEVER BIKE RIDE

as submitted by:
Pilot Club Member Tina Phillips

Photos by: Bobby McDonald

 

Scenes like this were common on Saturday morning, as bike riders participating in the 8th Annual
Spring Fever Bike Race, enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and pleasant temperatures.

 

 

The Pilot Club’s 8th Annual Spring Fever Bike Ride was a great success.  The Club registered 314 riders to participate in their choice of a 12, 22, 42, or 53 mile route.

 

Riders come from Sulphur Springs, Cumby, the DFW area, Greenville, Paris, Texarkana, Pittsburg and Bogota and from as far away as Houston, Waxahachie, and Ashdown, AR, Tulsa, OK, Moyers, OK, and Stillwater, OK.

 

The youngest rider was 12 year-old Kaylee Fitzgerald from Garland, TX.  Kaylee registered for the 42 mile ride along with her dad Patrick.  The most senior rider was 79 year-old Andy Brock from Coppell, TX, who registered for the 22 mile ride.

 

Pilot Club members hosted 6 rest stops along the routes for the riders with one every 8 – 10 miles providing rest rooms, fruit, drinks, homemade cookies, and other goodies.  Rest stops were located at RK Hall Construction, Divide Baptist Church, Miller Grove Schools, Brashear Baptist Church, Gafford Chapel Methodist Church, and Peerless Baptist Church.

 

Opening Ceremonies were led by Jane Goldsmith, ride co-coordinator.  The Hopkins County Military Coalition posted the colors for the Pledge of Allegiance led by Jane Goldsmith.  Lydia Walden sang the National Anthem.  Barbara Sanders gave the opening prayer.

 

Jane Goldsmith listed safety precautions regarding road conditions and noted SAG police, and EMT support would be available on the route.

 

Honorary ride starters included Philip Fitzgerald, a brain-injury survivor from Carriage House Manor, Louise Voss, a Terrific Tuesday participant, and Hoop Dreams Basketball League participants Jose Brito, Seth McElyea, Mark Roberts, and Matthew Roberts.

 

Ahead of the pack.....this bike rider, traveling down the north service road of I-30, was
ahead of his competitors and headed for the Divide Community, South of I-30.

 

 

Pilot Club members and community volunteers manned SAG wagons along the routes to provide mechanical and/or medical assistance for the riders.  The Sulphur Springs Police Department, Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hopkins County Memorial Hospital EMT provided professional support for the routes.

 

After the ride, participants were treated to Hopkins County Stew (chicken and beef) cooked on the Civic Center grounds Saturday morning.  Volunteer cooks this year were  Judy Gregg and family, Steve Littlefield, Tom & Gladys Howell, Marie Chester and Patricia Dorner, Katie & Don Patterson and Linda Hinton,  Charlie Vaughn, Donnie & Connie Powers, and James & Tonya Ross.  Entertainment was provided by The Campfire Cowboys.

 

 

                                                                                                                            

                                   

                                     These participants in Saturday's race make their way down Loop-301 near the Main St. intersection.

 

FIRST PLACE FINISHERS

 

12 MILE

 

Dylan  Rutherford          Sulphur Springs, TX                  45 minutes

 

 

22 MILE

 

Patrick Jumper                 Plano, TX                                       1 hr 6 minutes

 

Mary Granfield                 Greenville, TX                             1 hr 18 minutes

 

 

 

42 MILE

 

Mark Agee               Dallas, TX                                      1 hr 57 minutes

 

Leigh Carr                           Dallas, TX                                      1 hr 57 minutes

 

 

 

53 MILE

 

Joey Spragins                    Rockwall, TX                               2 hrs  25 minutes

 

 

Ginny King                       Dallas, TX                                      2 hrs  31 minutes

 

                                                                                                

                       

                                       Pilot Club members wait for the racers to return to the Hopkins County Civic Center "finish line."

 

                                         

 

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