BPMS150

April 17th was the Annual BPMS150. It is a huge fundraiser for MS sponsored by BP. Thousands of volunteers either ride their bikes between Houston and Austin (150 miles) in two days or help support those riders. Since neither Jeff or I ride (obviously! :O) we like to help out at one of the "Rest Stops" along the route. It usually means rising early and being to the "Rest Stop" by 7:30AM Saturday morning. This year we were off to Industry. It is about a 1.5 hour drive from our house. The drive was absolutely beautiful.
When we arrived we helped set up the "Rest Stop" and then helped out where ever we were needed. Both years we have volunteered we have ended up behind the drink counter. Jeff counted 18 drink coolers (the big orange ones!), 3 pallets of boxed gallon water jugs, and a pallet of ice. We went non-stop filling those coolers with ice and either a gatorade mix or water. We went through almost all 3 pallets of water! This year I focused on keeping the mixers supplied with gallon jugs of water and removing the empty ones. It doesn't sound like much but all of us were sweating and we went non-stop from 9AM till 3! Other volunteers manned the first aid table, directing traffic, prepping food, serving fruit or snacks, emptying garbage etc. It was quite a well organized production! 39 Bathrooms, Only one sink :(, 18 drink coolers, an American Red Cross Disaster Relief Team (in charge of communications), Several MS non profit volunteers, moral boosters for bikers (energetic gal with mega-phone and dance moves!),and approximately 40 (BP employees) volunteers!
If you get a chance - Join us next year! and don't forget to check out the photo album (top right)