FEATURED EVENTS:
In 2005, an amputee told Operation Comfort that he wanted to ride a handcycle. Since there were none at the hospital and probably none in town, we began raising money to purchase handcycles, road bikes, trikes, a recumbent and a tandem! We have an arsenal of bikes.
Since 2005, we have ridden in seven MS 150 rides, Cure de Tour, Mission to Mission, LBJ 100, Fiesta Wildflower Ride, Hotter N' Hell and multiple other rides around San Antonio.
Cycling is a comfortable and familiar sport for the wounded to do. As children they rode a trike, then a bike, perhaps graduating to a motorcycle and then to a car. It is a sport that is done with others or by yourself and even riding in a group you have your space. We cycle twice a week, mileage varying between 20-50 miles.
In 2011, for the second year we partnered with Help for Heroes, a non profit which helps the British wounded Troops in England. We were invited to bring some of our American wounded Troops to participate in one of their Big Battlefield Bike rides to celebrate and honor the 67th Anniversary of "Operation Overlord-Battle of Normandy." Our American wounded Troops had the honor or retiring the colors at the American Cemetery on Omaha Beach on June 6, 2011. The 350 mile bike ride began in St. Mere Eglise (south of Utah Beach) and we pedaled to Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches, all the way into Paris, laying wreaths along the way where so many battles took place not so long ago. With each laying of the wreath, the Pedaling Padre, said "When you go home, tell them, we gave all of our tomorrows, for your today." Our American Cemetery on Omaha Beach is something every American should see in their lifetime. The price of freedom is heavy and you can see it when you look out among those who "gave all of their tomorrows, for our today."
I strongly encourage all who see this post to begin to plan a trip to Normandy. You can book a flight into Paris, rent a car and head for Normandy. It will be a journey you will never forget.
In 2010 Help For Heroes invited us to bring some of our wounded Troops to ride "Operation Market Garden" otherwise known as "A Bridge Too Far." This 350 mile bike ride in Belgium and the Netherlands commemorated the 66th Anniversary of Operation Market Garden. Prior to leaving London for Belgium, on the Eurostar, we were hosted to a Concert for Heroes at Twickenden Stadium benefitting Help For Heroes. The concert was absolutely fantastic! The following day we left for Belgium along with 200 other riders. The ride began on Sept 13th from Brussels into Leuven, Antwerp, Einhoven, Nijmegen and onto Arnhem. Operation Market Garden was planned in two weeks and was the largest paratroop drop in history and the first day time drop. Involved in the Operation were Polish, British and American troops (82nd and 101st Airborne.) They were trying to secure five bridges, four were successful but the last bridge proved to be "A Bridge Too Far." Memorial wreaths were laid at all the bridges the American, British and Polish troops were trying to take. At the Memorial Service in Arnhem, we met many of the paratroopers who took part in the drop in 1944. It was quite moving.