With our deepest gratitude, thank you…
(Photo courtesy Miles Janicki)
There are truly no words to capture the incredible outpouring of support and love we witnessed this past Sunday. It was a breathtaking moment to realize that over 550 riders and walkers were present in body, mind and soul at Island Lake to honor fellow cyclist, Dan Horal, whose life was tragically cut short after being struck by a car mid-ride on April 25th.
(Photo courtesy Doug Lapp)
We could not have asked for more… absolutely amazing weather, a beautiful tribute, and a COMMUNITY who came together in solidarity to offer condolences to Dan’s family while also raising awareness about bicycle safety. Thank you so very much.
We offer our warmest gratitude to each of you who had an impact on this Memorial Ride for a great man who touched so many lives. We would like to call out a few particular individuals and businesses that helped take this Ride from meaningful to sheer magic.
Our sincere thanks go to…
The Horal Family – For allowing us to honor Dan’s memory and celebrate his life. Our love and support are with you.
Every cyclist who attended – For helping the Horal Family and cycling community make an unforgettable statement, and for not letting Dan’s tragedy go unremarked.
Cyclists in other States – For implementing your own Do It for Dan Memorial Rides and, in doing so, spreading the message and mission of this Ride beyond Michigan!
The Hometown Crew & Team Hometown Bicycles – For spreading the word so well and so quickly!
Unit Manager Andrew Haapala and Island Lake Recreation Area – For being wonderfully supportive and helpful throughout the process of creating this Ride
The Plotners & Wheels in Motion (at right) – For dropping everything to come out and support this Ride as a family and a team
WHMI – For their helpful promotion of this Ride
Channel 4 & Channel 7 – For making an appearance at this Ride to help spread the message
League of Michigan Bicyclists – For using its vast network to help spread the word
MCMBA – For allowing us to use Demo Day to promote the event
All of the Demo Day participants – For rallying to the cause, and helping get the word out throughout the cycling community
(To all of the amazing vendors at Demo Day, THANK YOU for helping to spread the word about the Ride!)
Kirt Albrecht at Big PDQ – For his contribution toward printing the Ride flier
Robin Fry – For her lightning-fast turnaround on, and her contribution toward, the unmissable Ride t-shirts
Fred Tomczyk – For his skillful rendering of the Ghost Bike Memorial design
Scott Brooks – For his artistry and craftsmanship in the creation of the Ghost Bike Memorial
Joel Hakken of MidWest Bike & Tandem – For his bicycle donation for the Ghost Bike Memorial
Master Blaster – For donation of his services to prep the Ghost Bike for painting
Matt Maximoff – For his invaluable assistance in creating the Memorial plaque
Joe Ostervik of DJ Mobile Rhythms – For emceeing the Ride, and the use of his sound equipment
Mike & Lisa Hartwell of The Eric Hartwell Foundation – For the loan of their bullhorn
Beauchamp Water Supply & Treatment– For generously supplying all of the water for the Ride
Les Cook – For carrying on his tradition of being the world’s most helpful sweep, and assisting cyclists all along the Ride
Jim Plaunt with Bike Tour Vacations – For sharing his heartfelt blog post about the Ride
Miles Janicki, Jill Zamojcin of Jilly Bean Photography, Doug Lapp, and a host of other skilled photographers – For photographic and video documentation of the event
| Click to view Miles’s stunning event photos |
| Click to find yourself in Jill’s Facebook rider collage |
| Click to view Doug’s awesome Ride video |
The Do It for Dan Memorial Ride will now become an annual event.
Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 3, 2020.
With May being National Bike Month, the timing couldn’t be more appropriate. In partnership with the Horal Family, and with your support, we want to finish Dan’s ride year after year.
(Photo of the Horal Family courtesy Jill Zamojcin of Jilly Bean Photography)
Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: Andrew Haapala, Beauchamp Water Treatment and Supply, bicycle ride, bicycle shop, Big PDQ, bike ride, bike shop, Bike Tour Vacations, Channel 4 news, Channel 7 news, Dan Horal, Daniel J. Horal, Demo day, DJ Mobile Rhythms, Do It for Dan Memorial Ride, Doug Lapp, Fred Tomczyk, ghost bike, Hometown Bicycles, Island Lake Recreation Area, Jill Zamojcin, Jilly Bean Photography, Jim Plaunt, joe ostervik, Joel Hakken, Kirt Albrecht, League of Michigan Bicyclists, Leslie Cook, Master Blaster, Matt Maximoff, MCMBA, Memorial Ride, Midwest Bike and Tandem, Mike and Lisa Hartwell, Miles Janicki, National Bike Month, Robin Fry, Scott Brooks, Team Hometown Bicycles, The Eric Hartwell Foundation, The Horal Family, Travis Plotner, Wheels in Motion | Leave a comment »
