volunteers showcase: group 5

Group 5 of our 2009 volunteers includes a previous staff member, the parents of our director, and a lady who received a marriage proposal while on the ride. Read about these wonderful people and their stories below:

Name: Curtis Baker
Why/how did you become involved with RTR? Talking with Tim and Worm, it sounded like lots of fun and a good way to visit new places in Colorado. I think Worm had a hand in getting me picked.
Why did you decide to come back this year? To have fun and to see new places.
What role(s) have you played as a volunteer? Registration, aid station, road marshal, load and unload trucks, and I also made a fruit run with Jack.
What is your favorite RTR memory? The rookie skit and also getting the call to take part in the event.
Name: Beth Bonczek-Stoffel
Why/how did you become involved with RTR? In 1999, I entered the lottery to ride the tour. I was sorely disappointed when I got my rejection letter from Paul. At the time, I was working with Dana Rinderknecht and she said maybe I could volunteer a year, and that would ensure I could ride in the future. Well, 10 years have gone by and I have volunteered many times. I've ridden some of the routes but never the whole thing. Volunteering is just too addictive!
Why did you decide to come back this year? The summer doesn't seem quite the same without a week on the tour. I enjoy seeing Colorado, meeting the cyclists from all over the world, and working side by side with my friends - the amazing RTR volunteer family! I missed last year's ride due to a work conflict. Now, I work for myself, so I don't see any conflicts!
What role(s) have you played as a volunteer? I have worked aid stations, which I love - you get to chat with the riders and from day to day follow their experiences on the ride. I have also marshaled. I seem to lose my voice every time I do that job!
What is your favorite RTR memory? I have to say it was the year I was a Queen. Yes, I was a Queen in 2002. Working with Paul and Amy for the duration of the tour as a Tour Assistant was such an amazing experience. While I was working that year, I met someone who became a good friend and regular RTR participant-David King. It was his first year on the route and he emailed me everyday with questions about everything you could think of - and those you'd never think of - that he might encounter during RTR. I looked forward to his regular messages and must say that we had quite a dialogue going. I was so busy on the tour (that was the year we had fires near Durango and had to reroute), but David and I met and became great friends. Now you'll see him and his lovely wife, Megan, riding the tandem cruiser each year. They, as do many of the riders, bring a smile to me everyday.
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? New Volunteers - roll up your sleeves and expect to work hard and have a blast! New Riders - Have fun, enjoy the beautiful scenery, drink lots of water, and don't overdo it - it's not called RACE the Rockies! Oh yeah, and don't forget to smile and thank the volunteers :-)
What do you do in your spare time? I love to hike throughout Colorado, and even in my spare time on RTR I try to get a hike in. I cycle also and as soon as my husband can get a week off during RTR we'll ride the tour. We are recently hooked on SCUBA diving and our next big adventure is a Dive with the Sharks at the Downtown Denver Aquarium.
What Colorado town is your favorite? On this year's tour probably Leadville. It just feels so historic and you can imagine all our predecessors walking the streets, mining the area, and trying to survive above 10,000 feet!
Name: Daniel Candelaria
Why/how did you become involved with RTR? Chandler convinced me to come over from the MS150. We worked together there for a few years.
Why did you decide to come back this year? I enjoyed my experience last year and RTR is a great way to see Colorado.
What role have you played as a volunteers? Last year I worked the Banner Truck.
What is your favorite RTR memory? All of it- the whole experience.
What piece of advice would you offer a first time RTR participants? Be careful!
What do you do in your spare time? I do a lot of volunteer work with various organizations like the MS Society, the City of Aurora, and RTR!
What Colorado town is your favorite? Crested Butte.
Name: Sara Schaecher
Why/how did you become involved with RTR? I rode RTR for eight years, but a work-related back injury took me out of the saddle. I’ve been on the volunteer side of things ever since!
Why did you decide to come back this year? I love the people and I love the ride. I’ve made many friends on the volunteer staff and want to come back to spend a week together each year. I believe the best way to see our beautiful state is from the seat of a bike. I enjoyed it every year that I rode and I want to help make it possible for others to enjoy too. I hope to ride again!
What role(s) have you played as a volunteer? Riding medic, executive liaison, information tent, sag driver, and radio support.
What is your favorite RTR memory? My favorite memory was getting a marriage proposal from a rider that I sagged on two different days. He was married, but said his wife wouldn’t care; we could all sleep in a heap like a bunch of Labrador puppies!
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? Get up early and get on the road. It is no fun to get caught in the heat of the day and the wind. Some people don’t mind being the last ones in town each day, but it leaves you with less time to relax, rehydrate, and recover.
What do you do in your spare time? Working on stained glass is one of my favorite pastimes. I really love being outdoors and plan to spend more of my time hiking and biking.
What Colorado town is your favorite? I like them all- they all have something unique to offer RTR. Frisco, Steamboat, and Salida have all been great from the perspective of a rider and a volunteer. These communities have really embraced the tour, planning great entertainment and food for cyclists.
Name: Cindy and Don Smith
Nickname(s): It didn't take the "Worm" long to name us "mom" and "dad" since that is how Chandler refers to us. We are so glad he doesn't call us Cynthia and Donald; mom and dad is a lot more personal:-) We are privileged to be mom and dad to RTR.
Why/how did you become involved with RTR? We were delighted to be asked and to assist our rookie son Chandler in his first year as director. He has provided many exciting adventures for us over the years and RTR is at the top of the list.
Why did you decide to come back this year? We wouldn't have it any other way. It is such a pleasure and a privilege for parents to be involved with their adult children in the passionate pursuit of their life's work. Further, it is an honor to be a part of this dedicated volunteer staff and contribute in some small way to the staging of this premier event. It is more than a ride, it is a life happening! We are looking forward to year number 2 and will hopefully be able to contribute more now that we've survived the "Rookie Review".
What roles have you played as a volunteers? Cindy and I managed the Post/News Charity tent and Ye Ole Candy Store last year. It was a great new addition that drew attention to the charitable component and satiated a lot of sweet tooth's. The kids in the various towns really loved Ye Old Candy Store and found us to be a soft touch if they were a few pennies short. It was a kick-we always thought we'd like to manage a candy store!
What is your favorite RTR memory? As rookies, just observing how well staff and volunteers managed and staged the event was most impressive. We were in awe of the skills and years of service the volunteers brought to RTR. It was a well orchestrated event that served and benefited a huge population of riders and townspeople. Interacting with the riders at Ye Old Candy Store, listening to their stories of trials and victory on the day's ride and their exclamations about the beauty of Colorado, that we so often take for granted, was something we began to look forward to daily. And finally, watching the riders cross the finish line in Breckenridge is indelibly etched in our minds...what a thrill and sense of accomplishment washed over their faces. It gave us a sense of accomplishment and pride to be part of the ride.
What piece of advice would you offer a first time RTR participants? Relax and have fun with the people you meet and greet each day. Keep an open mind, get acquainted, observe and ask a lot of questions, and then ramp up quickly. Get lots of rest to be your best each day. There are so many great volunteers that know the ropes let them guide you when in doubt.
What do you do in your spare time? Don - Read, worship, invest, travel, volunteer, take care of kids and grandkids, and work on Chandler's house:-), walk/hike, bike, spend time up the Poudre Canyon at our cabin and try to get in some fishing when possible. Cindy -Spend time with my family. Read much (devotionals, historical fiction and historical/geographical books and articles are my favorite genre). Pray often and for many. I listen to books on tape, (a treat when working at Chandler's house or our older son Derek's house). Play with and care for my precious grandkids and my big kids, too. I love time at our cabin and like lake fishing but would love to learn to fly fish this summer (hint, hint). I toy with writing and am doing some picture albums. I volunteer when I can. I enjoy walking, hiking and riding my bike for shorter distances than RTR.
What Colorado town is your favorite? We have many but, would you believe that, Glenwood Springs is one of our favorites. We really enjoy the atmosphere, the hot springs pool and riding or hiking along the Colorado River. We've celebrated several of our 42 wedding anniversaries in Glenwood Springs.