The Overnight fundraising event for the AFSP this past weekend was a huge success in large part to the many volunteers that helped make the event go smoothly, kept the walkers safe and sound, and put in many hours to ensure everything went off without a hitch. A few of us met for coffee before heading up to the event… I am so thankful to every rider who signed up to be a part of the event… you each were a special part of it and I will always be grateful to you for your time, energy, spirit, and love…
This was my first event participating on the Moto Safety Crew… I was impressed with the way they covered all the bases – snack/rest stops, midnight snack, trail sweeps cleaning up behind everyone, vans to pick up folks who could go no further, even moto cops aiding along the way. There aren’t a lot of photos… we brought our cameras but mostly kept them tucked away as the focus was elsewhere and we took our responsibilities to heart...
The bicyclists theme was angels and they sported wings on their backs as they rode back and forth alongside the walkers… I think it was a very appropriate theme for them…
Support vans at the ready to transport weary walkers…
Our crew getting ready to rock and roll… our Team Lead flew in from the Boston the night before and pulled together the merry band of moto misfits into a lean, mean, moto safety machine!
The start of the walk at about 7:30 p.m… more than 2,000 walkers descended upon the marina out of Fort Mason where the event began and would end…
There were people that knew about the event and would honk and cheer as they drove by… others would ask what was going on and when we would tell them, they were clearly touched by what people were supporting… some you could tell were impacted by it maybe a little more personally as they would nod their heads knowingly, perhaps having an experience in their lives with the issues… but they always said thank you to anyone involved…
There were teams wearing t-shirts with faces of those they had lost to suicide… or they carried pictures or banners with names on them… families and friends banding together in remembrance for a beloved spirit in their lives… strength and resolve in the faces that no matter what, they would finish this walk… some wept and received hugs and support from many around them… Holly and I were team partners, riding up and down the street, stopping at intersections to assist the walkers getting across safely, checking to see how everyone was doing, hooting and honking and hollering our support as they walked the route… we did get a very rare opportunity to manage a photo opp at the front gate of the Giants’ stadium at 3 a.m.!
The finish line and two riders’ reflective gear shining in the camera’s flash…
But I was not prepared for the wallop that hit me as I rounded the corner from the parking lot at the end of the event and was greeted with over 2,000 luminaria bags… each lit with a candle inside it… each representing a person or people who struggle with depression and mental disease and those who struggled and lost… the enormity of it hit me like a brick wall and I couldn’t help but shed tears for those souls and the people that love them…
The sun began to rise as the closing ceremonies started at 5 a.m… walkers huddled in space blankets, cuddling in close to one another, holding on for life almost, as speakers shared their personal stories and thanks were given to all who participated in every way imaginable…
I made my way back to the bike and slowly started to get ready for the ride home… I was exhausted but knew that I had to stay focused for the journey home… along 101 near Candlestick, the sun started to rise and the term “Out of the Darkness” became even more clear… an event to raise hopes that others won’t go down that dark path… that there are others like them who have fought and stayed to live another day, that they will see there is hope, and hopefully have the strength to reach out for help because there are a ton of people out in this world that care…
FIN
This was my first event participating on the Moto Safety Crew… I was impressed with the way they covered all the bases – snack/rest stops, midnight snack, trail sweeps cleaning up behind everyone, vans to pick up folks who could go no further, even moto cops aiding along the way. There aren’t a lot of photos… we brought our cameras but mostly kept them tucked away as the focus was elsewhere and we took our responsibilities to heart...
The bicyclists theme was angels and they sported wings on their backs as they rode back and forth alongside the walkers… I think it was a very appropriate theme for them…
Support vans at the ready to transport weary walkers…
Our crew getting ready to rock and roll… our Team Lead flew in from the Boston the night before and pulled together the merry band of moto misfits into a lean, mean, moto safety machine!
The start of the walk at about 7:30 p.m… more than 2,000 walkers descended upon the marina out of Fort Mason where the event began and would end…
There were people that knew about the event and would honk and cheer as they drove by… others would ask what was going on and when we would tell them, they were clearly touched by what people were supporting… some you could tell were impacted by it maybe a little more personally as they would nod their heads knowingly, perhaps having an experience in their lives with the issues… but they always said thank you to anyone involved…
There were teams wearing t-shirts with faces of those they had lost to suicide… or they carried pictures or banners with names on them… families and friends banding together in remembrance for a beloved spirit in their lives… strength and resolve in the faces that no matter what, they would finish this walk… some wept and received hugs and support from many around them… Holly and I were team partners, riding up and down the street, stopping at intersections to assist the walkers getting across safely, checking to see how everyone was doing, hooting and honking and hollering our support as they walked the route… we did get a very rare opportunity to manage a photo opp at the front gate of the Giants’ stadium at 3 a.m.!
The finish line and two riders’ reflective gear shining in the camera’s flash…
But I was not prepared for the wallop that hit me as I rounded the corner from the parking lot at the end of the event and was greeted with over 2,000 luminaria bags… each lit with a candle inside it… each representing a person or people who struggle with depression and mental disease and those who struggled and lost… the enormity of it hit me like a brick wall and I couldn’t help but shed tears for those souls and the people that love them…
The sun began to rise as the closing ceremonies started at 5 a.m… walkers huddled in space blankets, cuddling in close to one another, holding on for life almost, as speakers shared their personal stories and thanks were given to all who participated in every way imaginable…
I made my way back to the bike and slowly started to get ready for the ride home… I was exhausted but knew that I had to stay focused for the journey home… along 101 near Candlestick, the sun started to rise and the term “Out of the Darkness” became even more clear… an event to raise hopes that others won’t go down that dark path… that there are others like them who have fought and stayed to live another day, that they will see there is hope, and hopefully have the strength to reach out for help because there are a ton of people out in this world that care…
FIN
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