Just before I left for a Wachovia USPRO Championship press event in Philadelphia on Friday afternoon, I received the following email from the organizers of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope:
Tour of Hope Application Status
Dear Tour of Hope Applicant,
Thank you for applying to be a member of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope(tm) Team. The finalists for the cross-country event have been selected and notified of their status. Although you were not selected, you should be very proud to be among the impressive group of people who applied for the Tour.
There has been an extraordinary response to the initiative, and interest continues to spread. The Tour of Hope has struck a cord with the American public, bringing together the inspiration of Lance Armstrong and the dedication of everyday cancer heroes to tackle the incredible need for advancing cancer research.
Almost 1,100 individuals applied for the Tour of Hope Team. Every application was reviewed thoroughly and careful consideration was given to each cancer story and cycling experience. An independent selection committee comprised of representatives from the cancer and cycling communities had to make very difficult decisions in selecting the 2005 Team.
We hope that you will continue to show your support for cancer research by making the Promise, a personal commitment to learn more about this life-threatening disease. There are many other ways in which to show your support for this year�s Tour of Hope, e.g. volunteering at the kick off in San Diego, participating in the fundraising ride in Washington, DC, or simply cheering the Team as it crosses the country at a local Hope Rally. Please visit www.tourofhope.org to make the Promise and to learn more about the 2005 Tour activities.
Thank you again for your interest and support of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope.
Warm regards,
Tour of Hope Staff
As I said in articles I wrote back in March and April, I didn’t expect to be chosen for the team. There are many people who are better candidates than me, both as cyclists and as members of the cancer community. I remember how impressed I was with the stories of 2004 Tour of Hope Team members like Kristen Adelman. If they got applications from people like her, they should all ride before someone like me.
It’s interesting to know that about 1,100 people applied for 20 spots. It wasn’t easy to complete the application, as I explained when I submitted my Tour of Hope 2005 rider application. I think the fact that 1,100 people completed that application indicates that support for this event is extremely strong across the country.
I’m glad that the organizers made their decisions and took the time to email the other applicants like me. Now I can think about other endurance events I might want to participate in, and hopefully plan to return to Washington for the 2005 Tour of Hope DC Fund-raising Ride in October.
I want to thank my wife Kathleen for supporting my participation in the Tour of Hope National Team application process.