Hi everybody, This past Saturday I rode with the b.i.k.e.Syracuse kids and delivered donations from the OCC picnic the week before as well as a couple of donated bikes. Thanks to the individuals, and the club, for stepping forward to help. After breakfast, we got the kids outfitted with bikes, jerseys, and helmets. The gloves that our own Kate Stewart gave to all the kids were on lots of little hands. Thanks Kate.

We rode from Skiddy park up the hill to Burnett park. One young fellow, Omar, did hill repeats on all the steep pitches while the younger kids walked their bikes up. Give this kid a couple of years and a road bike, and our local racing teams will all be recruiting him. A young lady named Victoria flashed an incredible smile when she made it further up the hill than ever before. After a bit of riding in the park, the kids retired to the pool for about an hour. Then we geared up and returned to Skiddy park without incident. Another strong – and wild – young rider, Joe?, carefully helped stow gear, as did several kids, without being told. The kids had a late lunch, and my ride with them was over.

There’s the picnics and the pool. Now lets talk about power. Will all of these kids grow up to be model citizens and live happily ever after? No. None of us gets that guaranteed, and the obstacles facing these kids are terrifying. The harsh world in which they live will surely devour some of them. Can this program help some of these kids escape that fate and just live the best lives they can? Like us? Yes, thats possible. Thats the idea. Can OCC volunteers help them escape that world for an hour or two? Can we reduce one kid’s suffering just a little? We certainly can. That, my friends, is the power I’m talking about, and it’s enormous. They need us. Kat Oot-Coffey – ootcoffey@aol.com – – www.bikesyracuse.com – Dave