volunteers showcase: group 6

Group 6 showcases some amazing volunteers! Some who started as riders themselves and others who are family and friends.:

Name: Amy Becker
Nickname: Becker or any number of variations- Becks, Beckless, Beckster.
Why/how did you become involved with RTR? A coworker invited me to join with Team DFL two years ago.
What are you most excited about as a first-time volunteer? Being involved with the event again and getting to know the other volunteers.
Have you ever been involved with an event like this before? I rode with Team DFL last year.
What do you like doing in your spare time? Aside from cycling, I am a pretty typical Coloradan- hiking, walking my doggie around Wash Park, camping, games at Coors Field. Basically anything that gets me into the great outdoors!
What Colorado town is your favorite? Denver!
Name: Debbie Bender
Nickname: Debbie
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? 2 years.
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Help organize and run the Denver Post Charities Silent Auction.
What is your favorite RTR memory? Driving over Independence Pass and seeing over 2,000 cyclists out the windshield front and rear view mirror of my car. Wow! What a sight, cyclists everywhere!
Why do you keep coming back each year? I am a cyclist, so I love serving other cyclists who want to see Colorado from their bikes...but I volunteer because I love the fact that Ride The Rockies is a bicycle tour that is also a fundraiser that benefits youth organizations in small communities in Colorado!
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? Bring your camera, smile, and be prepared for any kind of weather!
What do you like doing in your spare time? When I'm not driving to soccor practice or games and cheer practice or competitions, I ride my bike!
What Colorado town is your favorite? Tin Cup (near Cottonwood and Tin Cup Passes) and Crystal (near Marble).
Name: Diane Hayward
Nickname: Diane
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? 12 years.
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Executive and VIP Liaison, road marshal and aid station.
What is your favorite RTR memory? It must have been about 11-12 years ago, watching the cyclists from Finaland. They rode scooters like we did when we were kids. Also about 2003, the fires that were burning in the mountains, all the poor cyclists had a rough time breathing.
Why do you keeping coming back each year? It just amazes me that the cyclists do this. I love to watch and help them through this event! Also the friends I have made and people I've met.
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? It's fun work!
What do you do in your spare time? Gardening, anything outside.
What Colorado town is your favorite? Grand Lake, Granby, all of them are so unique in their own way, Buena Vista is a favorite too.
Name: Hank Grote
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? 6 years as an RTR volunteer and 2 years babysitting my favorite volunteers (my daughter Jennie and son-in-law Garet Hickman).
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Road Marshal and Aid Station.
What is your favorite RTR memory? Welcoming the RTR riders when they reach the top of the passes.
Why do you keeping coming back each year? I appreciate the comfortable atmosphere of comradery and friendship, the riders for their appreciation for what we do, and of course the most beautiful scenery of Colorado and the world.
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? Follow the many great tips given to you by the many years of experience by RTR to make your ride enjoyable and safe!
What do you do in your spare time? I enjoy family hikes, casual biking, snow sports, fishing and photography.
What Colorado town is your favorite? I like the charm and history of the small towns and ghost towns throughout Colorado.
Name: Chris Deyle
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? 15 years.
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Aid 1.
What is your favorite RTR memory? The year I was accepted for RTR.
Why do you keeping coming back each year? To do what I can to make each year the best ever, working and enjoying my fellow volunteers and cyclists.
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? Take pride and pleasure in your accomplishment!
What do you do in your spare time? Travel abroad, family and friends, occupation is private duty nursing.
What Colorado town is your favorite? Every town is special.
Name: Roger and Marsha Schanke
What are you most excited about as a first time volunteer? Meeting and enjoying the riders, the camaraderie with the other volunteers. It is always fun to be with people who love to do what you love to do. Why/how did you become involved with RTR? For three separate years we participated as cyclists in Ride The Rockies and thought it would be fun to volunteer for the event!
Have you ever been involved with an event like this before? We have ridden in RTR adn also rode our bikes in many century bike rides. In the past we also volunteered for our local Marathon (Community First Fox Cities Marathon) in Appleton Wisconsin.
What do you like doing in your spare time? Bike, golf, read, hike. Marsha is a recent retiree, so she's getting used to having "spare time".
What Colorado town is your favorite? Frisco, Leadville, Salida.
Name: Nolan Epple
Nickname: No No
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? 2 years.
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Fruit truck driver.
What is your favorite RTR memory? Vertigo at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison...Leaving white knuckles imprints on the steering wheel of the fruit truck on Independence Pass. Making good friends!
Why do you keep coming back each year? Well, this is only my second year...May good memories last a year, want to make some more.
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? Be willing to work hard and have fun, and pitch in wherever you are needed. Smile!
What do you like doing in your spare time? Workout, read, garden, watch movies.
What Colorado town is your favorite? Glenwood Springs.
Name: Kathy Harm
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? 2 years.
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Aid/Marshal.
What is your favorite RTR memory? Independence Pass.
Why do you keep coming back each year? Knowing that volunteers make the ride work and that RTR is SO well run.
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? Enjoy!
What do you like doing in your spare time? Who has spare time?
What Colorado town is your favorite? Telluride.
Name: Jim Helmer
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? 1 year.
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Aid/Marshal.
What is your favorite RTR memory? Riding over La Veta Pass as a rider in 2003.
Why do you keep coming back each year? Train!.
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? People and scenery.
What do you like doing in your spare time? Garden
What Colorado town is your favorite? Salida.
Name: Stephen Terrell
Why/how did you become involved with RTR? Through my dad, Agent Orange.
What is your favorite RTR memory? Pranking the prank master. Also marking the downhill ona very treacherous pass and having nobody get injured.
Why do you keep coming back each year? The volunteers are great and the towns and scenery is amazing.
What do you like doing in your spare time? Playing hockey, hackey sack, and hanging with friends and my girl.
What Colorado town is your favorite? Telluride.
Name: Marvin Thompson
Why/how did you become involved with RTR? Sammie Saulsberry's enthusiasm and involvement.
What are you most excited about as a first-time volunteer? Seeing places I've never seen. Learning about a sport I know very little about. Meeting new people. Assisting in raising funds for worthwhile causes.
Have you ever been involved with an event like this before? Closest thing would be setting up/running a golf tourney.
What do you like doing in your spare time? Watch tv, yardwork, used to fish and fold, lots of "honeydos", attend grandkids sports/events, travelling to Tyler and Monroe to see Sammie.
What Colorado town is your favorite? I have only been in Colorado once for a ski trip, I am excited about seeing Colorado in depth!
Name: Russ Perez
Why/how did you become involved with RTR? Just recently started cycling and wanted to do something this summer that was cycling related. Plus I've always wanted to do a volunteer type of vacation, this is the perfect combination.
What are you most excited about as a first-time volunteer? Helping put on such a major event while being able to see and stay in some of the most beautiful places in the state.
Have you ever been involved with an event like this before? Not on this scale. However, in college I was actively involved in organizing and producing campus events such as movies, concerts, lectures and festivals. I have also volunteered for some large and small events here in Denver like World Youth Day, Aztec Exhibit and being an DIA Ambassador for the airport's opening.
What do you like doing in your spare time? Spend time with my wife and two boys. Sing in a neighborhood band, and most recently, explore the city and surrounding areas on my bike.
What Colorado town is your favorite? Most definetely Durango, however, I may be a little biased since I grew up there.