Thanks to a whole lot of FANTASTIC volunteers, we had one of the most successful Gainesville Cycling Festivals ever this weekend.  We won’t have final number for a few days, but we are fairly certain that the turnout Saturday for the Nationwide Santa Fe Century set a record, and the 30^th Annual Horse Farm Hundred was among the best attended ever; we’ll see about the record when the paperwork is done.

There were so many volunteers turning in outstanding performances that it’s hard to pick out just a few, but here are a couple of particular note.

When we decided to introduce the Friday evening “Stable Party”,  Beatrice Solis stepped right up and did the whole thing (with help from her crew).  This on top of being the crew chief for the Horse Farm Lunch stop, one of the more intense jobs on our docket.

Barb Wills and her crew at the Hague rest stop on the Santa Fe Century introduced our first “themed” rest stop.  I knew something was different when I spotted the flock of yard flamingos alongside the road; the DeSoto park shelter was decorated with a tropical and flamingo theme, including a reclining flamingo wearing a red boa (which all visiting dignitaries were required to don for a photo!).

Numerous out of town folks commented to me that this was the best run event they have encountered.  They noted that we had SAG vehicles everywhere, that the route was incredibly well marked (we have the best route painter in the US – Chandler Otis, and a masterful sign placer – Scott Pfaff).  And the food that Bob Newman spent all of his free time over the last week buying and sorting was the right stuff at the right place.

On behalf of our command staff, Gary Greenberg – Aid Director, George McKenzie – Course Marshall, and Richard Ritari, Registrar, thanks again to all of you who helped out (and will continue helping as we put away the equipment and tally the results).

Roger Pierce

Director, Gainesville Cycling Festival

http://gccfla.org/gcf/