Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour

Riders

Congratulations to the 2009 Lone Star Circle of Life Team!

These twelve team members were selected for the very special task of delivering a message of life throughout Texas. They took a week away from their families and jobs to reach out to communities through the state to encourage Texans to become more aware about donation. Each team rider has a special reason to promote donation of either blood, organs, tissue, cord blood or marrow. Each day of the tour, team members rode in honor of a local Texan 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 and to learn more about how YOU can help.

We also invite you to read the daily journal pages of team rider Bryan Rollins, who has graciously agreed to share his thoughts about the Lone Star Circle of Life. The link is http://bryanjrollins.livejournal.com/2009/10/

It is not too late!
If you would like to join a virtual team for the Lone Star Tour this year, visit http://www.bethematchfoundation.org/lonestar and sign up under one of the 2009 Team Captains. You can support the efforts of our riders by helping them spread the information about the need for blood, marrow, organ, tissue and cord blood donors.

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The 2009 Lone Star Team

Rich Oropeza

2009 Team Captain

City: Lewisville, Texas
Age: 39
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."

Fred Carter

City: Belton, Texas
Age: 45
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 twelve years ago, and has been a team captain three of those years. "I am a 19-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!"

Joe Canal

City: Tyler, Texas
Age: 52
Employer: Tyler Christian Fellowship

Reason for Riding: Joe’s 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. Joe can never repay that person, but wants to give back by spreading the word about organ donation to anyone he can.

"The Lone Star Circle of Life Tour is a priceless opportunity to honor organ and tissue donors and recipients in cities across Texas."

Michael Ezzelle

City: Tomball, Texas
Age: 40
Employer: Donor Services of Texas

Reason for Riding: I am a long time proponent of the whole donation process. Tissue donation has a personal impact on me and my family. My best friend passed away almost two years ago and he was a recipient. My brother-in-law is a recipient as well. Both experienced a complete change and enhancement in their way of life through the selfless gift of a family who suffered a great loss. As the owner of a tissue recovery service, I have dedicated my professional life to facilitating the gift of life through donation.

"I would love the opportunity to help impact the donation process by educating the public on the necessity of this great gift.”

Kevin Fisk

City: Crawford, Texas
Age: 34
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 a stem cell donor, it is my desire to help spread the word about donation and dispel many of the misconceptions regarding marrow donation.”

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

Keith Hughart

City: Dripping Springs, Texas
Age: 53
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."

Cindy Sells Johnson

City: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Age: 42
Employer: Bahnson, Inc.

Reason for Riding: "I know of no better way to honor the memory of our son, Andy and honor our son, Brad than to spread the awareness of the need for blood & platelet donations, organ and tissue donation, umbilical cord donation and joining the bone marrow registry. In July of 1986, our three year old son, Andy received a bone marrow transplant from our four year old son, Brad. With only a 30% chance of finding a donor within our family, we were very fortunate that Brad’s marrow was a match, especially since this was before the National Bone Marrow Registry officially began. Without this match, Andy may never have received the transplant that he needed. The transplant cured Andy’s failing bone marrow and his immune deficiency. Although severely handicapped, both mentally and physically, from brain damage caused by viral encephalitis 30 days post transplant, we were blessed beyond words and are extremely grateful for the 16 additional years that Brad’s bone marrow gave us with Andy.

As a parent, I can’t imagine the agony of having a child in need of a transplant (organ or marrow) and an organ or a marrow match not being found in time to save my child’s life."

"By sharing Andy’s story, his life will continue to have a positive impact on others. If only one life is saved it will be worth every peddle stroke."

Saundra Karnes

City: Waco, Texas
Age: 63
Employer: Self-employed

Reason for Riding: Reason for Riding: “The donor program has touched my life in numerous ways – a brother received the gift of sight and several family members as well as friends have been donors or recipients of transplants. The Lone Star Circle of Life honorees through the years have touched my heart. Being a part of the life-saving team that raises donor awareness, gives hope to those in need and rides for those who cannot is the least I can do to thank those who have given the ultimate gifts of sight, life and hope.

“Knowing that the need for donors of every type is great fuels my dedication to bring awareness to the program both on and off the bike."

Kenneth Mireles

City: Conroe, Texas
Age: 43
Employer: LifeGift Organ Donation Center

Reason for Riding: The reason that I ride with the Lone Star Circle of Life is because the tour is such an important vehicle to raise awareness. Just getting one person to sign up with the marrow registry, or with the Donate Texas registry, or to give blood is such a huge impact on our community. The need for these precious gifts that literally gives life is so great. 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: 38
Employer: BJR Research

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 second year with the Lone Star Circle of Life tour.

"I'm always looking to try to find more ways to spread the message about the need for organ and marrow donors."

Gary Van Kuiken

City: The Woodlands, Texas
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. This is his third tour and he rides to help create greater awareness of the importance of signing up to make life giving gifts of organs, tissue, marrow and blood. “In the past few years I’ve had the opportunity to meet many fantastic donors, donor families and recipients of organ, tissue, blood and marrow. Their stories are all very motivational. The need for more donors remains extremely important and the way to increase the number of donors is through increased awareness."

"Each additional donor we are able to reach and educate means the gift of life for potentially several people in need. 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, and organ and tissue donation."

Bob Wise

City: Tampa, Florida
Age: 57
Employer: Verizon

Reason for Riding: Bob's father inspired his passion for donation. As a flight line chief at Whiteman Air Force Base in 1965, he was first in line when the call went out to donate blood. Bob is now a 42-gallon whole blood and apheresis donor and he conducts 16 blood, marrow and organ/tissue drives a year at Verizon. "Texas and the USA need more quiet heroes. They are the whole blood, apheresis, bone marrow and organ/tissue donors. Texans and the American people are ready and willing to have a tremendous impact in our health care system.”

“Quiet heroes exercise their power to share their good health an save lives. These donors rock the world of trauma, transplant, burn and cancer patients and their families.”

2009 Support Crew

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