May 16th - Ride of Silence in VT

From the VBPC
On Wednesday evening, May 16, all are invited to participate in a “Ride of Silence” to honor bicyclists who have been injured or killed in crashes involving motor vehicles. The Ride of Silence is an annual event that happens on the same day across the U.S. and around the world. Since 2007, the Ride has been organized in Montpelier by the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition (VBPC) to draw attention to the need to improve the safety of Vermont’s roadways for all users. Thanks to the efforts of a group of students from UVM, the Ride will take place in 12 Vermont communities this year. Read more at: http://www.rideofsilence.org/main.php

Listed below are the participating communities and the Ride leaders who can be contacted for information regarding gathering times and places:
Bennington, Bruce Lierman, TheCyclingAcademy@comcast.net
Brattleboro, Dede Cummings, DCDesignTeamVT@gmail.com
Burlington, Matt Barrows, MaBarrows@gmail.com
Hinesburg, Richard Watts, RWatts@UVM.edu
Manchester, Amy Verner, AmyLVerner@gmail.com
Middlebury, Molly Costanza-Robinson, MSCostanza@yahoo.com
Montpelier, Nancy Schulz, Nancy@VTBikePed.org
Randolph, Mike Van Dyke, MVD2095@gmail.com
St. Johnsbury, Brian Hanson, hiker_biker_ringer@yahoo.com
South Hero, Carol Tremble, CBTremb88@yahoo.com
Waterbury, Sherry Winnie, Sherry.Winnie@gmail.com
Woodstock, Jenny McKenna, JRMcKenn@sover.net 

Our hero, Our Champion this year Our Oxnard, California organizer, Angelique Martinez, (the 1st ever Oxnard event). Angelique is just 16 years old. This past Thanksgiving, when most of us were celebrating the Holiday, giving thanks for everything we may have, that we hold dear.....  Angelique couldn’t. Her 6 year old brother Anthony was hit and killed while riding his bike that day. To lose a family member that young this way would be devastating enough, but on Thanksgiving Day no less.... the entire community was as devastated and affected as the Martinez family about Anthony's death. This remarkable young woman has now channeled her grief in the form of a RofS, to help raise awareness that we cyclists are out there every day, no matter how old or young we are. She is putting a positive spin on this tragedy, by educating motorists, the media and the public in general, so that no one might have to go though what she and her family had to on that regrettable day.