Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour

Riders

Congratulations to the 2008 Lone Star Circle of Life Team!

These team members have been selected not only because they are experienced riders, but also because their lives have been touched by the need for blood, marrow or blood stem cell, organ or tissue donation in a special way. They are taking a week away from their families and jobs to reach out to communities throughout Texas and encourage the communities to become more aware about donation.

Each day of the tour, team membes will ride in honor of a Texan who resides in the area they are riding to that day, for their unique contribution either as a donor, a recipient or for their support for the field of donation.

We invite you to visit the local event pages to read about these special people that we are honoring this year.

As this is the 11th anniversary of the Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour, we encourage all past team riders to apply as a day rider for one or more segments of the tour.

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The 2008 Lone Star Team

Rich Oropeza

2008 Team Captain

City: Lewisville, Texas
Age: 38
Employer: Sewell Automotive Companies

Reason for Riding: Rich was in the audience at one of the early Lone Star Circle of Life tours and heard the riders' message and took that message to heart. "Before I learned about the tour, I did not pay much attention to the importance of being a donor. My wife works at a children's hospital where lives are saved due to others giving the gift of life. I now make it part of my daily schedule to encourage others to donate or at least sign up for the marrow donor registry. This is my eighth year to participate in the Lone Star Circle of Life tour."

"Giving someone the chance to live a better life through blood, organ, tissue and marrow donation is the greatest gift we can share with one another."

Danny Bihl

City: Hewitt, Texas
Age: 29
Employer: Harker Heights Fire Department

Reason for Riding: Danny is a regular platelet and plasma donor and fully understands the necessity and need for donors.

"There are not enough donors and we must do everything we can in order to spread the awareness of life-saving donations."

Fred Carter

City: Belton, Texas
Age: 44
Employer: Central Texas Council of Governments - Accounting

Reason for Riding: Fred has been with the Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour since the tour's inception eleven years ago, and has been a team captain three of those years. "I am a 17-year leukemia survivor with an interest in raising awareness of the need for life-saving donations of blood, marrow, organs and tissues. Have bike, will travel!"

"Be a donor and give the gift of life - YOU could be a hero!"

Becky Canal

City: Tyler, Texas
Age: 52

Reason for Riding: Becky rides because when her son, Josh, needed a heart several years ago. Someone had already thought about the life saving gift of organ donation and gave their heart to Josh. She can never repay that person, but wants to give back by spreading the word about organ donation to anyone she can.

"Because someone thought ahead, our son now has a second chance at life."

Kevin Fisk

City: Crawford, Texas
Age: 33
Employer: City of Waco Fire Department

Reason for Riding: Kevin joined the National Marrow Donor Program registry several years ago at a drive put on by the Waco Fire Department. Last year, he was found to be a match for a patient with leukemia and donated his peripheral blood stem cells to this patient. "Having been on the registry for years, I was excited to learn that I was a match for someone in need of a stem cell transplant. After donating, I was excited and thrilled to learn how I could help spread the word about the registry and get more potential donors on it through the Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour."

"It's absolutely amazing how little it takes of oneself to give someone else life."

Keith Hughart

City: Dripping Springs
Age: 52
Employer: Texas Organ Sharing Alliance

Reason for Riding: Keith works for Texas Organ Sharing Alliance and sees on a daily basis the impact of donation. He has been a day-rider with the Lone Star Circle of Life on several other tours and has seen first hand the impact that the tour can have in educating Texans about donation.

"I want to recognize all the families who, on the worst day of their lives, find the grace, kindness, and generosity to donate the organs and tissues of their loved ones."

Saundra Karnes

City: Waco, Texas
Age: 62
Employer: Self-employed

Reason for Riding: Saundra is a long-time advocate of the donor program and her life has been touched by family and friends who were donors or recipients. "Participating in the Lone Star Circle of Life tours, meeting honorees and their families and hearing their stories, following their progress, rejoicing with successes, or being saddened by relapse, set-backs, or no available matches have intensified my dedication to donor awareness. Bringing attention to the National Marrow Registry's shortage of registered Hispanics is of particular interest to me since learning of the shortage. The Lone Star Circle of Life tour provides a way in which to raise awareness of this and other donor areas and to give hope for those waiting for their hero."

What better way is there to use my God-given cycling ability than to help others?"

Kenneth Mireles

City: Conroe,Texas
Age: 42
Employer: LifeGift Organ Donation Center

Reason for Riding: As an employee of LifeGift Organ Donation Center, Kenneth has been involved with organ and tissue donation for the past nine years. This is Kenneth's second year to ride in the tour as a team rider, but he has been a day rider for several years.Kenneth says "Throughout the years, my heart has been touched in so many ways by donor and recipient families as they continue to demonstrate their courage and their desire to help others. Having seen the comfort grieving families receive from meeting their loves one's recipients gives me the motivation to ride on behalf of donation. In fact, it is an honor. The need for these precious gifts that literally give life is so great that I feel this is one way I can help to get the word out. Cycling to raise awareness is just a small gesture compared to the ultimate gift of life that many people have unselfishly given to others."

"Saving a person's life through donation is a blessing to the donor and the recipient. Talk to your family about donating life!"

Bryan Rollins

City: Austin
Age: 37
Employer: Message One/Dell

Reason for Riding: Bryan lost function in both of his kidneys several years ago and received a kidney transplant in 2004. Now, Bryan is in great shape, has done a series of triathlons, as well as the MS 150 and loves cycling in Texas. He wants to share his story about how a transplant saved his life to encourage others to consider donation. This is his first year with the Lone Star Circle of Life tour.

"I'd love to help spread the message about organ, tissue and marrow donation to get more people in Texas to register as donors."

Keith Steward

City: Gatesville
Age: 54
Employer: Extraco Banks

Reason for Riding: In January of 2007, Keith received a kidney transplant from his friend and Lone Star Circle of Life teammate, Shari Miller. "I want to ge a part of the tour to help those that are awaiting a transplant to know that there are many who are working to enlist donors so that they can have a better quality of life.

"I want to help encourage everyone to register as a donor so that they can help the many needing a transplant."

Lisa Steward

City: Gatesville
Age: 47
Employer: Central Texas College

Reason for Riding: Lisa was involved in a near-fatal car accident in 1984. Without generous blood donors, she would not be alive today. Lisa rides to promote awareness of blood donation as well as organ donation as her husband, Keith, received a kidney transplant in 2007. Lisa has been on several past Lone Star Circle of Life tours both as a team member and as a member of the support crew.

"I want to take every opportunity to promote live organ transplants, since I've seen the wonderful effect this has had on Keith."

Gary Van Kuiken

City: The Woodlands
Age: 49
Employer: Chevron

Reason for Riding: Gary is very aware of the impact of donation through his wife, who has been involved with organ donation for many years through LifeGift in Houston. He rides to help create greater awareness of the importance of signing up to make life giving gifts of organs, tissue, marrow and blood. This is his second year on the tour. Gary says "Last year's tour was one of the most meaningful weeks in my life. Experiencing the emotion, power and gratefulness of donor and recipient families was just incredible."

"I'm thrilled to be part of the team this year and to use my abilities to help raise awareness of the life-giving power of blood, marrow, organ and tissue donation. I'm glad to do my part to help!"

2008 Support Crew

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