[Photo by BUILD LLC]
A couple weeks ago, we reached a small milestone in BUILD history. As with every summer in recent memory, we gathered a group of cyclists to participate in our annual Seattle to Vancouver Invitational Charity Ride (S2V). Last month marked our fifth year, and the crew has a momentum that makes this feel like we’ll continue for many years to come. Our sights are already looking into the distance to the training regimen for 2015. For a look back on previous rides, check our S2V archives: 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
[Photo by BUILD LLC + Brian Boram]
Since its start in 2010, BUILD has coordinated and hosted the two-day, 185 mile charity ride which begins on the stoop of the BUILD office in Seattle and culminates in Vancouver, B.C. (unless that’s not enough and you choose to ride the Whistler extension on day three). And S2V 2014 was a big success: we had a tremendous crew with a mix of familiar and fresh faces, the jersey designs continue to evolve (and dare we say improve over previous years), and (no small feat) we finally had a 100% success rate in the “No Passport Left Behind” program. Not to mention, the logging of hundreds of collective training hours to support fitness, camaraderie, and goodwill.
In years past, we’ve raised dollars to support Shelterbox, Washington C.A.S.H., The Hope Center, and this year, we are honored to join up with the Seattle non-profit, Bike Works, to support with our pedaling. A big thanks goes out to our generous donors and supporters who helped us raise a our current total just north of $20,000. And it’s never too late to do good, so feel free to click over to the online donation page and continue the goodwill by adding to our running total (just note “S2V” on your donation).
[Photo by BUILD LLC]
Bike Works is a fantastic Seattle-based non-profit bike shop complete with classes, a repair shop, and cycling resources supporting their immediate community (and cultivating future generations of riders). We want to give a shout out and a big thanks to Marcus (pictured above) for giving us the grand tour of their operations. Check out more about Bike Works and their programs here.
An S2V recap would not be complete without recognizing our jersey designer and jersey vendor. For the third year straight, our very own Charles Caldwell whipped up the smart and stylish jersey design. This year, we tried out a new jersey vendor, Castelli, who provided us with top-notch jerseys (that looked good and felt good). Major props to them for hitting our budget and working within a tight deadline.
[Images by BUILD LLC]
Much of our success in crossing that finish line involved the right kind of sustenance to keep our bodies strong and our motivation going. Our friends at Picnic continued their support this year with a generous and delicious spread that covered lunch over the two days. As well, Ciao Thyme hosted a fantastic backyard dinner in Bellingham. All this good eating was a welcome departure from sport bars and still-undetermined-biking-gel-food-goo. As you can see, we really weren’t “roughing it” out there — seriously, how often does a boutique deli cater a 185 mile bike ride? It’s one of the many perks that keeps the ride one of our annual highlights.
[Photos by BUILD LLC]
And we can’t go without giving a standing ovation to the steadfast leadership and organization of BUILD’s own Kevin Eckert. And as well to our fearless leader on the road, Aaron Pambianco, whose navigation skills can only be compared to that of a Canadian Goose. And we’d truly be lost without the team manager and the steady SAGwagon hand that our man Gary Plaunt provides.
[Photo by Brian Boram]
[Photo by BUILD LLC]
[Photo by BUILD LLC]
Among our generous donors, many wonderful folks in the BUILD community stepped up to support us by giving generously to Bike Works. We’d like to extend special thanks to all who gave, particularly to our very generous leaders, Greg & Margo Plaunt, as well as vendor and friend, Blake Howell (Olde English Hardwoods) who offered a late-breaking and unexpected donation that helped push us over the $20K mark. Other donation leaders can be seen on the back of those sharp ride jerseys.
We’ve got a healthy collection of photos on our Facebook page. For the riders who haven’t emailed their photos in, feel free to add a link in the comments below. Search #S2V2014 for many more behind-the-scenes S2V moments captured by Team BUILD and friends.
[Photo by Greg Plaunt]
[Photo by BUILD LLC]
From our humble 2010 inaugural ride consisting of nine determined riders, we’ve grown the last couple of years to over 20 strong. Kudos to all who participated this year, and remember: it’s never too early to start training for S2V 2015!
Top Row: Bill Wiegand, Paul Jaqua, John Bergen, Jeff Johnson, Aaron Pambianco, Greg Plaunt, Kevin Eckert, Andrew van Leeuwen, Matthew Fero, Pete Nelson, Josiah Johnson, Rod Risley, Duff BangsÂ
Bottom Row: J. Michael Smith, Matt Servia, Carey Moran, Kristin McNeely, Jordan Slaymaker, Albert Shum, Brian Boram
Cheers and ride on from Team BUILD