The Springtown Spin Ride invites you to join their ride on October 20, 2012 starting at Springtown High School 915 Highway 199 Springtown, TX
We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Tacia Torres, Executive Director of the Tarrant County Youth Collaboration and the founder of the Springtown Spin Bike Rally to ask some questions about their upcoming ride.
Why join the Springtown Spin Ride?
This is a great opportunity to get a final ride of the season in such a beautiful place for a beautiful cause, non profit programming for the children and youth of Dallas & Tarrant counties.
How long has the event been around?
This is our 5 year celebration! We will have commemorative t-shirts marking our 5 years of success for all pre-registered riders and first come, first serve for all day of registrations. We also have live bands this year as part of our celebration.
What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it?
The Tarrant County Youth Collaboration went 10 years without a fundraising event. Our tagline reads: Mobilizing the Community for Children and Youth. As a cyclists and from a cycling household, we decided to actually MOBILIZE the community.
How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?
Funds raised from Springtown Spin have been used in parental involvement and community engagement programs in the Dunbar Stop Six pyramid within Fort Worth ISD and in our social development Dancing Classrooms North Texas program in Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISDs, Dallas Catholic Dioceses and Uplift Education schools serving more than 7,000 students from DFW.
Can we get a TCX or GPX file included for download? Over 63% of folks say they are more up to attend a ride for which they have information about the routes for their on-bike devices.
The course maps are listed on our website at www.tcyc4kids.org
Do you hav a map of the start facility showing registration point, parking, all toilets, water/snacks, start line?
No, but we are located at the Springtown High School at 915 W. Hwy 199 Springtown TX 76082. All facilities are clearly mapped upon entry into the parking lots. We have same day and pre registration, on site toilets and showers, lots of snacks and beverages, and a well marked start line.
Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?
Planning is year-round with the heavy lifting occurring between July-October. We are a 2 person office who also runs all of our children and youth programming simultaneously. We have a volunteer Board of Directors consisting of 9 members who seek donations and sponsorships between July-Oct. On average the rally costs about $5,000 and this year we will make a 100% profit due to sponsorships and the hard work of our staff and volunteers!
What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?
Watching it GROW! Our first year we had about 70 riders and by year two, we brought in 250 riders.
What is the average number of participants per year? How many riders do you assist during the average race?
We average about 300 riders and hoping to push the number to 500 this year. We assist about 50 riders per event due to tires, bike issues, unable to finish, etc.
What was the most unforgettable experience or worst accident you had in this event?
We had a full family ride our 40 mile course last year with an 8 month old in tow! It was great to see the parents with their two children and all the family fully value the experience. We love to see parents instill cycling so early and giving back to their community through non profit fundraising.
What can folks do to support you and your mission?
RIDE! If you can’t ride, log on to www.tcyc4kids.org and donate towards the cause.
What is your role in this race and to the success of it?
I (Tacia Torres) am the Executive Director of the Tarrant County Youth Collaboration and am the founder of the Springtown Spin Bike Rally. None of this would be possible without of logistics and marketing director, Clayton Root and our fundraising director, Kasey Logan.
Do you ride and if yes, what kind of bicycle do you ride and what is your favorite route in your area? Which are your top 3 favorite MUST DO rides in Texas (besides your own)?
I am a mountain biker, not a rode cyclists. I ride a Specialized and LOVE Boulder in South Dallas. My husband is a road biker (and helped create SSpin…okay fine, the ride was his idea but he doesn’t have to get all the credit lol). His must rides are Head for the Hills in Cedar Hill, Red Hot Chili Pepper Ride in South Dallas, and any beautiful ride in Tyler.
If you had to come up with a David Letterman style top 10 about the race, what would it read like?
10. No cell service…get off the tech devices.
9. Porta potties are cleaner than your kids bathroom.
8. PB&J made with LOVE!
7. Brand new t-shirt design. Check it out www.facebook.com/springtownspin
6. Enough food to feed Hotter Than Hell (LOL)
5. Live music in Springtown that is not Country.
4. Volunteers that don’t know what their doing but have a great time getting it done!
3. Trucks to pick you up when you feel like the whole course is up hill.
2. Staff who give a damn and…
1. BBQ that is damn good!
Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?
One stop light, beautiful scenery, amazing BBQ following the ride, and live music from The Bicycle Thieves!
Thanks Tacia for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!
Click here to view the event details of the 5th Annual Springtown Spin Ride