Once upon a time, the charity bicycle ride known as the Colorado Peace Ride was supposed to take place early August, but a particular “peace-loving” überband known as Phish wrecked those plans.
“We just found out that we will have to move the dates of the Peace Ride because of a Phish concert in Telluride during the original dates,” Christa Rathe, the director of media relations and marketing for the Peace Ride said in an e-mail at the end of March. “They're expecting as many as 18,000 fans, and that could really pose a safety issue for the bicyclists.
“So we've chosen new dates: July 29-Aug. 1.”
Imagine that, Phish a threat to peace.
I jest, of course, pfor the good Deacon Christa of the Sophia Peace Center in Dolores changed the plans of her second annual pfour-day epic without a hint of annoyance in any of her e-mails.
And while rearranging a bike tour that is 238 miles long, covers pfour cities, ascends and descends pfour mountain passes at more than 10,000 feet, has a baker's dozen worth of sponsors and a swelling number of riders probably wasn't too pfun for Rathe, I couldn't help but see the pfunny in it all.
Phish, who is using paperless tickets – paperless! – for its two-day show Aug. 9-10 at Telluride Town Park, swimming upstream against peace.
Phish, whose WaterWheel Foundation's primary mission is to raise pfunds (more than $550,000 since 1997 for more than 325 groups) pfor a pre-selected nonprofit in each community they visit while on tour, bike-blocking a local nonprofit.
I see an easy pfix here, Phish.
The Colorado Peace Ride, per its website, “is a four-day bicycle tour along the San Juan Skyway that offers free and low-cost retreats and education opportunities for nonprofit organizations through the Sophia Peace Center.”
Hear that? That's the sound of water in the wheel, Phish.
I doubt Trey, Mike, Jon and Page will drop their mikes pfor bikes, but certainly somebody pfrom WaterWheel could stretch their charitable arms and legs pfor the Peace Ride.
Here's the deal, Phish: Enter a team pfor $400, pfundraise pfor your team's ride, complete the ride, then the CPR will write your nonprofit a check pfor half the amount of pfunds you raised.
“It's that simple,” says the website. “What the Ride asks for in exchange is that the group helps spread the word about the Peace Ride. This is a great way for many groups to work together toward being the change they wish to see in the world, and to have fun doing it.”
So how 'bout it, Phish?
Contact the CPR tour director, Isabelle Stone, at revisabelle@thepeaceride.com to register your team and play pfor peace.
aaron@durangoherald.com
