Volunteers and volunteering -- GDBers make a world of difference.
by Philip Watson, President

GDB is NOT ...just a bike club. Besides providing many quality rides to its members, each year GDB assembles and orchestrates a successful production called the Lancaster Country Ride – one of the top bicycle rallies in the state.

Each year more riders register for GDB’s Lancaster Country Ride for the exact reasons the Rally was planned in the first place: gorgeous country scenery, fields blanketed with bluebonnets, challenging courses (or easy, riders have a choice), and great volunteer support.

Besides a thousand riders, a sure sign of success is that in 2005, six area bike shops (RBM, REI, B&B, Bicycles Plus, Plano Bicycling, Debo Cycles) recognized the Rally by providing their vehicles to assist riders, and, more astounding, that was while a competing rally was taking place at the exact same time in Dallas.

And this: Four other DFW bicycle clubs moved their regular Saturday ride to Lancaster for the GDB Rally.

And what about this? Just check out the October, 2005 issue of Texas Monthly which lists the Lancaster route as one of the top ten in the state while giving credit to GDB.

Planning and executing a successful bike rally is hard work. But GDB Volunteers know what they are working for, which is to promote cycling in the Dallas area and pursue their passion for making cycling better for us all.

On rally morning, you can look around and see all these GDB members with whom you’ve ridden so many times – and seen at other rallies. But this time those familiar faces don’t have helmets on their heads. Instead of peddling, they’re registering riders, handing out socks, coordinating parking, tying banners, organizing the huge start, cutting oranges and bananas, filling coolers with hydration drink, working rest stops, loading supplies onto trailers and cars, delivering rest stop supplies, driving SAG vehicles, washing out coolers and hauling back tables and chairs to rental stores and finally disposing of a lot of trash. (Whew!)

As well as providing fellow cyclists with a great ride, GDB volunteers generate funds that support both cycling and non-cycling programs. GDB has given thousands to the Lancaster Outreach Center. GDB’s 2005 cash contributions provided relief for evacuees of Hurricane Katrina. GDB boosts the Lancaster economy in many ways.

So, why volunteer and help with the GDB rally?

There is a positive energy one gets in volunteering for a worthy cause, an intangible that grows out of the personal connection in working toward a goal with other likeminded people. In many cases, and something I find remarkable, the volunteer workers are often so different in other areas of their lives. GDB volunteers are often different politically, spiritually and ideologically. We may disagree on many things, but two things provide a glue of sorts, that bonds this Club: our passion for cycling and the fact that the Lancaster Rally show must go on.

I think many would say volunteering provides a balance. It’s an opportunity to switch gears, to talk and plan and cooperate with people whom we merely pass in a blur in our regular day-to-day lives. There’s no economic gain in volunteer work, but there is a richness of personal rewards that one receives in accomplishing something awesome like the GDB Lancaster Rally.

By volunteering for a worthy cause, you may discover that you’ve helped yourself as much as you’ve helped others.

For 2006, cyclists and GDBers are fortunate to have Gail Spann as the Rally Director. Gail is highly experienced and well connected as she is the recent president of Texas Bicycle Coalition. Serving as the 2006 Volunteer Coordinator is Brenda Barnell. Both Gail and Brenda can be reached through the GDB web site.

And folks, even if the altruistic rush of helping others is not reward enough, a party for Rally volunteers is in the works and will kick off sometime not long after the Rally.

C’mon join the team. Join other GDBers to create a superb rally experience for cyclists of Greater Dallas - and give to your community through the success of your Rally.

You can read prior year reviews about the GDB Rally at http://www.bicycle-stuff.com/.