Bike the US for MS helps Girard resident with service project, increasing awareness

BY PRESTON FRAZIER

HOMETOWN GIRARD

▸▸ When local coordinator Gina Peak set out to find hands-on service projects for the 35 riders of Bike the US for MS, she knew the cyclists were ready to sweat. This past weekend, that promise of hard work came to life on the ground in Girard as the team traded their handlebars for hand tools and wheelbarrows. 

On Friday, the team of dedicated individuals helped Girard resident Angela Beach with numerous tasks around her home. For rider Brian Pendley, who spends his summers in Montana, the motivation for using his well-earned rest time to serve someone else is all about paying it forward. “It’s always good to give back,” he said. “The giver is the one who gets the most blessing.” 

Many of the riders expressed humility, knowing that it’s a great thing to have the ability to assist in this capacity. “I’m blessed with good health, and there are a lot of people that don’t have that. Anything we can do to help out is good,” Pendley added.

Obviously, with the various service projects and the route itself, there’s a lot of teamwork involved. For one of the route leaders on the team of cyclists, Charlie Zook from Colorado Springs, even though it’s teamwork across the board, it does look a little different on the road than when helping another in the local community. “I would say the first observation that comes to mind that looks different to me is out on the road, everybody tends to get really spread out, like you wouldn’t think so,” Zook said. 

During the rides, some cyclists leave earlier in the day, while others leave later, so riders all arrive at the rest stop at different times of day. However, on service days, the riders all leave at the same time to help someone else. “On the service days, it’s people of all ability levels, all speeds, all working together sanctimoniously to sort of help people and further our mission, our cause,” Zook added. 

In the midst of all this hard work, there are many rewarding moments and connections along the way that leave lasting impressions on those who help. “Well, to me, it really has been the people I think that we’ve met along the way,” Zook said. 

The inspiration this team has provided to others in the area has not gone unnoticed. “I’m really surprised at how many people think that it’s an incredible thing what we’re doing,” he said.

Angela Beach is the Girard resident who benefited from the riders’ hard work on Friday. Her sincere gratitude could stretch on for miles, much like the many miles these cyclists have traveled to raise awareness for Multiple Sclerosis, the same ailment Beach struggles with every day since her diagnosis on St. Patrick’s Day in 2004. 

“The fact that they take the time out of their family’s life, you know, they sacrifice that family time to give to people that, for the most part, they don’t even know,” Beach said. Some may never truly know the struggles that people with MS endure on a daily basis. “That’s MS. One day you can throw some siding up on your house, and the next day you’re just not even able to get out of bed. So the unpredictability of the disease is hard,” Beach mentioned. 

However, in moments of unpredictability and uncertainty about what’s next, having a community come together to support her through service and hard work is something that sticks forever. “I’m very thankful for it,” Beach stated.

Beach thanks the riders of Bike the US for MS for their service, hard work, and dedication.