Orleans County Citizen Advocacy

2009 Century Bike Tour

Watch 2008 Video

(2009 Photos Below)

The 12th annual Terry and Ben Claassen Memorial Northeast Kingdom Lakes Century Bike Tour was held on September 19, 2009. The race started and finished at Crystal Lake State Park in Barton. The Bikers could choose between a 25-mi1e, 50-mile, 75-mile or the 100-mile loop. 60 of the riders chose the 100-mile tour.

The Tour is in memory of Ben and Terry Claassen, residents of Washington DC., and Irasburg, Vt., Who were killed in a small plant crash in 1996. Their family and friends honor their memory by donating the entry fees to the Orleans County Citizens Advocacy. OCCA a nonprofit organization that partners people with disabilities with citizen volunteers in a one-to-one relationship of friendship and advocacy.

- 2009 Event -

This year’s 55 riders, most who tackled the full 100 mile loop, faced a chilly morning with gusty winds, but by afternoon there was sunshine and gentler breezes. The cyclists couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about the ride! We appreciate their praise about the routes, the food, and the friendliness of the volunteers. After 12 years, many riders feel like old friends.

TD Bank was our major T-shirt sponsor again this year—they have been with us since year one—and we thank them and the ten other businesses who gave their financial support: Concept 2 Rowing, Associated Insurance Agencies, Community National Bank, Rusty’s Electric, Newport Rental Center, Barton Area Chamber of Commerce, Village Bike in Derby, Louis Garneau, the Garden Patch, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Sean McCarthy of Hold Fast Designs in Hardwick made our map T-shirt happen, with help from the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce.

The Newport Rotary Club was our major funder for the BBQ, with seven other businesses donating food for the dinner & the rest stops: the C&C, Freihofer’s Bakery, Garden Patch, Price Chopper, Shaw’s, Vermont Heritage Spring Water and Walmart. A special thanks to Ann Creaven for organizing the catering (and baking pies!) and to Russ Bowen for his hours at the grill. Our thanks to all the board members for baking all the goodies and for filling all those crock pots at the rest stops, and to Cleo’s Catering for the delicious meal.

19 volunteers staffed the rest stops, with eight others volunteering behind the scenes before & on the day of the ride. Thanks to: Joan Alexander, Ann Stannard, Cindy Stone and Chris Wellhoff at Crystal; Sue Ashworth and Lynda Graham-Barber at Willoughby; Kay Courson at Country Thyme; Amanda Baldwin, Ellen Bowen and Mike Gruteke at Derby Line; Rosemary Claassen, Lisa Daigle-Farney, Mike Farney and Pam Veervort at Island Pond; and Erik & Fabienne Valdes at Lyndonville. Thanks to Cindy Smith, Gerry Cahill and Joan Alexander painted all the directional arrows along the route; to the on-call mechanics, Earl Whitmore and Jeff Manning, (who, thank goodness, never got a call!); and to Jeremy Edwards and Al Marin for updating the website.

For historic and scenic spots for the rest stops, thanks go to Kay Courson at Country Thyme in Derby, the Westmore selectboard for the Willoughby North Beach, Bruce Grant at Northern Gas Transport for the Sheffield Potato Co. in Lyndonville, the Haskell Library in Derby Line, John Corriveau, ranger at Crystal Lake State Park in Barton, and Kathy LaCross, ranger, at Brighton State Park in Island Pond.

It was a great community effort, resulting in over $4000 for OCCA’s mission of bringing people with disabilities together with community volunteers in one-to one relationships of friendship and advocacy.

Orleans County Citizen Advocacy’s board of directors, and our OCCA coordinator, Ellen Bowen want to thank everyone involved in making this year’s bicycle tour a fun, safe, spirited fundraiser.

We look forward to next year’s 13^th annual ride, on the third Saturday in September, 2010.

(Click on Photo to enlarge)