A.D.
05-13-2008, 08:46PM
Calistoga Bikeshop’s April Fools Challenge
raises $3,000 for Calistoga Family Center
Jake Potrebic, 8, wears a mighty big hat for a half-pint.
The youngster, who attends St. Helena Catholic school became Calistoga’s Third Grand April Fool last week after riding 151 miles on his smallish 20-inch bicycle during the Calistoga Bikeshop’s Third Annual April Fools Challenge.
“I was totally surprised,” said Potrebic. “I had no idea I could win.”
Potrebic, the son of Peter Potrebic, who was the coordinator of the bike shop’s 30-day-long 2008 Challenge, also won the top spot in the kids division.
The April Fools Challenge was not held last year because Brad and Sharon Suhr, who had just moved to the Napa Valley from their home on Martha’s Vineyard on the East Coast, had just bought the Calistoga Bikeshop. Sharon was about the have the couple’s first child, and with the new bikeshop and a baby on the way, and trying to find a place to live, the couple had their hands full. A year later, the couple have gotten up to speed enough to revive the program — they’ve settled into life in the Napa Valley and, on May 2, their daughter turned a year old.
The mission behind the madness of the April Fools Challenge is not just to see who could ride the most miles, but to raise money to support Calistoga Family Center programs that benefit many families in Calistoga.
“One of the original goals of the April Fools Challenge was to get people back on their bikes,” said Potrebic. “And that seems to have been a success, once again.”
The riders, some of whom go by names such as “Push me, Pull you,” “Stationary Martha,” “Iron girl” and even “Water Boy!” managed to log in a little more than 5,000 miles during April.
“This year we wanted to do things a little differently when it came to choosing a Grand April Fool,” Potrebic said. “Our focus was not on who rode the greatest number of miles, but the quality of miles ridden.”
For example, 700 miles ridden on the road is a lot easier than riding 500 miles on a mountain bike, he said.
“Jake managed to clock 151 miles riding on his little 20-inch bike,” Potrebic said. “I spoke with a few of the other participants and we all thought that, for the amount of effort put out, Jake worked as hard as anyone in the group, so we chose him as this year’s Grand April Fool.”
Other awards
Everyone who participated received an orange T-shirt decorated with the jester hat, the semi-official symbol of the April Fools Challenge. Still, others were awarded special honors based on some unique circumstances, sometimes other than just the number of miles they rode.
John Baker, a contemporary of the junior Potrebic, was given a special award for riding undercover.
“Each of his parents thought the other had signed him up,” Potrebic said. “As it turns out, neither of them had, but we knew John had been riding so he was given a prize for the best undercover rider.”
Eja Dodds, 4, won recognition along with his mom, Vilma, for riding tandem for the entire month under the team name, “Push Me, Pull You.” The young Dodds was congratulated soundly by the other young riders.
Denise LLoreda, of St. Helena, won recognition for the 161 miles she clocked up during the month, but perhaps the greatest reward for her was the money she saved on gas.
“I started riding my bike from St. Helena to Calistoga,” she said. “I filled my gas tank up and it lasted an entire week, so I saved the money I would have spent on gas that week.”
Other winners included Kevin Eisenberg, Ray and Hillary Simone, the senior Potrebic and Martha Spaulding — also known as “Stationary Martha” — because, through a special arrangement with owners of a local sports workout business, Fitness First, she was able to participate riding a stationary bike.
Other notes
Before awards were handed out, the newest Grand April Fool guessed the winner would be Calistoga High School Principal Kevin Eisenberg.
“I think if anyone wins, it will probably be Kevin Eisenberg,” said Jake Potrebic. “That’s because he was riding a recumbent bike and that is a tougher than riding a regular bike, and he did a lot of miles.”
The awards night buffet was catered by Bosko’s Trattoria, just down the street from the bike shop.
“We’re really happy with the way the program turned out,” said Calistoga Bikeshop owner Brad Suhr. “There was a lot of fun with the light-hearted competition that also raised money for an important organization here in town — the Calistoga Family Center — with sponsors giving to the local nonprofit, the riders raised a little more than $3,000.”
Former Stonegate Winery owner praised the program.
“I used to ride a lot when I lived down here, but we live up in the hills now and I ride a lot less than I used to,” said Spaulding, who is married to Stationary Martha. “This is a great program, and gets people on their bikes for a really worthy cause.”
source Weekly Calistogan (http://www.weeklycalistogan.com/articles/2008/05/08/features/community/doc482352b46b73e122288107.txt)
raises $3,000 for Calistoga Family Center
Jake Potrebic, 8, wears a mighty big hat for a half-pint.
The youngster, who attends St. Helena Catholic school became Calistoga’s Third Grand April Fool last week after riding 151 miles on his smallish 20-inch bicycle during the Calistoga Bikeshop’s Third Annual April Fools Challenge.
“I was totally surprised,” said Potrebic. “I had no idea I could win.”
Potrebic, the son of Peter Potrebic, who was the coordinator of the bike shop’s 30-day-long 2008 Challenge, also won the top spot in the kids division.
The April Fools Challenge was not held last year because Brad and Sharon Suhr, who had just moved to the Napa Valley from their home on Martha’s Vineyard on the East Coast, had just bought the Calistoga Bikeshop. Sharon was about the have the couple’s first child, and with the new bikeshop and a baby on the way, and trying to find a place to live, the couple had their hands full. A year later, the couple have gotten up to speed enough to revive the program — they’ve settled into life in the Napa Valley and, on May 2, their daughter turned a year old.
The mission behind the madness of the April Fools Challenge is not just to see who could ride the most miles, but to raise money to support Calistoga Family Center programs that benefit many families in Calistoga.
“One of the original goals of the April Fools Challenge was to get people back on their bikes,” said Potrebic. “And that seems to have been a success, once again.”
The riders, some of whom go by names such as “Push me, Pull you,” “Stationary Martha,” “Iron girl” and even “Water Boy!” managed to log in a little more than 5,000 miles during April.
“This year we wanted to do things a little differently when it came to choosing a Grand April Fool,” Potrebic said. “Our focus was not on who rode the greatest number of miles, but the quality of miles ridden.”
For example, 700 miles ridden on the road is a lot easier than riding 500 miles on a mountain bike, he said.
“Jake managed to clock 151 miles riding on his little 20-inch bike,” Potrebic said. “I spoke with a few of the other participants and we all thought that, for the amount of effort put out, Jake worked as hard as anyone in the group, so we chose him as this year’s Grand April Fool.”
Other awards
Everyone who participated received an orange T-shirt decorated with the jester hat, the semi-official symbol of the April Fools Challenge. Still, others were awarded special honors based on some unique circumstances, sometimes other than just the number of miles they rode.
John Baker, a contemporary of the junior Potrebic, was given a special award for riding undercover.
“Each of his parents thought the other had signed him up,” Potrebic said. “As it turns out, neither of them had, but we knew John had been riding so he was given a prize for the best undercover rider.”
Eja Dodds, 4, won recognition along with his mom, Vilma, for riding tandem for the entire month under the team name, “Push Me, Pull You.” The young Dodds was congratulated soundly by the other young riders.
Denise LLoreda, of St. Helena, won recognition for the 161 miles she clocked up during the month, but perhaps the greatest reward for her was the money she saved on gas.
“I started riding my bike from St. Helena to Calistoga,” she said. “I filled my gas tank up and it lasted an entire week, so I saved the money I would have spent on gas that week.”
Other winners included Kevin Eisenberg, Ray and Hillary Simone, the senior Potrebic and Martha Spaulding — also known as “Stationary Martha” — because, through a special arrangement with owners of a local sports workout business, Fitness First, she was able to participate riding a stationary bike.
Other notes
Before awards were handed out, the newest Grand April Fool guessed the winner would be Calistoga High School Principal Kevin Eisenberg.
“I think if anyone wins, it will probably be Kevin Eisenberg,” said Jake Potrebic. “That’s because he was riding a recumbent bike and that is a tougher than riding a regular bike, and he did a lot of miles.”
The awards night buffet was catered by Bosko’s Trattoria, just down the street from the bike shop.
“We’re really happy with the way the program turned out,” said Calistoga Bikeshop owner Brad Suhr. “There was a lot of fun with the light-hearted competition that also raised money for an important organization here in town — the Calistoga Family Center — with sponsors giving to the local nonprofit, the riders raised a little more than $3,000.”
Former Stonegate Winery owner praised the program.
“I used to ride a lot when I lived down here, but we live up in the hills now and I ride a lot less than I used to,” said Spaulding, who is married to Stationary Martha. “This is a great program, and gets people on their bikes for a really worthy cause.”
source Weekly Calistogan (http://www.weeklycalistogan.com/articles/2008/05/08/features/community/doc482352b46b73e122288107.txt)