improving lives through bicycling
Experience history in the making p. 6-7 March 2016 / Vol. 46 No. 3
cascade.org
Family & friends ride in memory of Jerry Baker Group Health funding helps expand the By Briana Orr, Communications & Marketing Manager Major Taylor Project By Ed Ewing, Director, Major Taylor Project
G.S. Flash, aka Team Baker will ride in blue and orange jerseys like this one Jerry wore in 2009. Courtesy of Shane Willams.
Family and friends of the late Jerry Baker will ride in memory of him in the 37th annual Group Health Seattle to Portland (STP) presented by Alaska Airlines. A founding member of Cascade and Washington Bikes and founder of the Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome (which was renamed posthumously), Jerry was truly the godfather of cycling in the Northwest.
Andy Baker, Jerry’s son, said the idea of riding the STP in memory of his father bubbled up amongst many of Jerry’s friends and family. After all, “what more appropriate way to celebrate Jerry Baker could there be?” asked Andy. Along with a handful of friends, Jerry founded and won the first (and only) time-trial race from Seattle to Portland in 1979. Now a common household acronym in the Northwest, 10,000 people complete the epic journey every year. Jerry finished his 36th STP in 2015. He’s the only person to have ridden every year, and in his honor, Cascade retired the number 36 bib. G.S. Flash, aka Team Baker, will pedal from Seattle to Portland, a 200+ mile journey — most completing it in one day. Jerry started G.S. Flash as a serious racing team back in 1991, but Andy said no one has been serious for a long time. They will wear bib numbers 3701, 3702, etc. in Jerry’s honor. And several will be riding the STP for the first time. The Group Health STP presented by Alaska Airlines is made possible with support from the local communities through which the route passes. The STP is a joint fundraiser between Cascade Bicycle Club and Washington Bikes. In addition to supporting Cascade and Washington Bikes programs, rider registration fees help give back to the communities we pass through and the organizations that thrive along the route.
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
7787 62nd Ave. NE Seattle, WA 98115 www.cascade.org
TIME DATED MATERIAL
PRSRT STD US Postage Paid Seattle, WA PERMIT No. 2172
Left to right: Deborah “Spot” Stephenson, the late Jerry Baker and their daughter Julia Baker, celebrate at the 2015 STP finish line. Julia will be riding STP this year with 20+ family and friends in memory of Jerry.
Whether you are riding in memory of a loved one or to challenge yourself, STP sells out every year, so be sure to register early! Public registration is now available at cascade.org/stp.
MTP will expand to six more schools and reach even more students, thanks to funding from Group Health.
The Major Taylor Project is a year-round, youth development cycling program produced by Cascade, integrating bicycling, healthy living, bicycle maintenance, road safety awareness and the importance of working toward individual goals. 2016 began with the Major Taylor Project (MTP) receiving very exciting news. This year MTP will add six new schools, partially through additional support from Group Health. Group Health has doubled its support of MTP, enhancing its investment in this initiative and deepening its support in the community. With the increased funding, MTP plans to increase its programming to two additional schools in Tacoma and four in South Seattle, reaching a total of 16 schools! We began our expansion plans by discussing ways MTP could further its impact in the community. Several Seattle and Tacoma communities have uniquely positioned middle and high schools where the middle schools function as “feeder” schools for co-located high schools. We identified an opportunity for MTP to partner with co-located middle and high schools to begin bicycle education early in youth development. This is also an opportunity to further invest in the neighborhood and better understand community goals and needs. In 2014 MTP piloted this approach at Seattle’s Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School. Denny and Chief Sealth are rather unique
in that both schools share a common campus. After school, Denny students see Chief Sealth students riding off campus and frequently ask, “Can we get bikes?” or “When do we get to ride?” Group Health values MTP as a community-based preventive initiative to ensure good health habits in diverse youth and immediately recognized the long-term health benefits of reaching youth early in development. Young people in diverse and/or low-income communities encounter an increased risk of diabetes, obesity and limited access to physical activity and healthy food. There are also limited opportunities to explore community green spaces and parks, not to mention the social and emotional effects of living in poverty. Probably the most exciting and impactful outcome of the MTP expansion is the opportunity for peer-to-peer mentorship. High school students will have the opportunity to volunteer as MTP ride leaders on weekly rides with middle schoolers. High school graduation requirements include a community service component, and students receive service hour credits for volunteerism. In its eight years of operation, a number of siblings have pedaled through MTP. We also see the opportunity for siblings to mentor and ride with each other— who would pass up the chance to ride with their kid sister or brother! Thank you, Group Health, for your enhanced and continued support and shared commitment to improving health!