The Dehydrator invites you to join their ride on July 28, 2012 starting at Simmons Center located at 800 Chisholm Trail Parkway, Duncan, OK
We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Kent, coordinator of The Dehydrator to ask some questions about their upcoming ride
Why join the “Dehydrator fundraiser”?
If you mean “why ride in the event?”, because it’s one of the best organized rides available, you can choose to go on a fun ride –or- test yourself with one of (if not THE only) citizens races in Oklahoma, help support a couple of worthy causes, and get one of the COOLEST t-shirts around!
How long has the event been around?
The Dehydrator was founded in 1990, originally as the “Harvest” ride held in the Fall. Just a couple of years later the event was moved to the Summer months and renamed.
What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it?
Originally, the motivation was simply from the local bicycle club to put on an event and see what the response would be. Currently, the main benefactors are the Duncan School band programs, which include both Middle and High School bands. Another benefactor is the local Toy Shop which receives new and used bicycles to distribute to good boys and girls at Christmas. Other than that, EVERYONE benefits from participating in it to supporting it!
How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?
As above, the major portion of the funds goes to support the local school band programs. The monies help pay for band trips, band camps, and scholarships. Another portion is used to buy new bicycles to be donated to the local Toy Shop Christmas drive. These bikes help brighten the day of some not-so-fortunate kids.
Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?
Roughly speaking, it costs about $10k to put on the event, with over half of that amount going towards our AWESOME t-shirts. It also costs us ‘a little’ to pay for professional timing for our race, and rental of the Simmons Center, which is a GREAT facility. We incorporate about 100+ volunteers and planning is basically year-round. Details are worked out in earnest about 6 months before the start.
What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?
It’s pretty much the same every year; getting to see the smiles on peoples’ faces as they finish or mingle during the meal. They truly have a great time and we enjoy serving them!
What is the average number of participants per year? How many riders do you assist during the average race?
Average attendance for the longest was 400 +/- 5% or so. However, in the past several years we’ve seen a great increase above that and now we’re running mid-500’s. we attribute that better marketing/getting the word out, and word of mouth as riders tell each other what a great event it is.
What was the most unforgettable experience or worst accident you had in this event?
Worst was probably in 2009; we had a couple of older guys (65+) come up from the Dallas area for the race. Unfortunately, one of them wiped out in one of the turns, fell, and broke his hip. Best was 2010; we had a wounded veteran who showed up with his hand-cycle. He was a great guy and it was a first for us.
What can folks do to support you and your mission?
Locally, donate to help put on the event; either straight-up dollars, or ‘in-kind’ such as foods, consumables, give-aways, etc. For the riders; just ENTER and have a great time!
What is your role in this race and to the success of it?
My role personally has been coordinator since 2009. I may not be the best at it, but staying with it over the years has given me a good overall picture of what goes on and what needs to be changed. Before me the coordinator changed pretty much every year and that’s a really tough model to try to have any consistency from.
Do you ride and if yes, what kind of bicycle do you ride and what is your favorite route in your area? Which are your top 3 favorite MUST DO rides in Texas (besides your own)?
Yes I ride, though not lately. It’s time to get back on the saddle! My first ‘real’ bike was an ’87 Specialized Allez. I still have it and it’s a great bike. My current bike is an ’07 Tommaso. It’s a decent bike but I’m looking forward to something else one of these days. The only ride in Texas I’ve done is the Hotter-N-Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls. I’ve done that one about a half dozen times.
If you had to come up with a David Letterman style top 10 about the race, what would it read like?
Top 10 reasons to enter the Dehydrator race:
10. It’s the only citizens race (that we know of) in Oklahoma
9. You can pretend you’re in the Tour De France
8. You might win a medal, if you’re good enough, or if there’s 3 or less of you in your category
7. You get to try to catch a pace car
6. You get handed water like you’re something special
5. You get professionally timed
4. You get an AWESOME meal when it’s done
3. You can try out you hill-climbing skills when the pack tries to drop you
2. You might get to be on t.v. or your pic in the newspaper
1. If you’re in one of the jersey categories, you might win an AWESOME winners’ jersey!
Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?
We want to set another record attendance this year, so show up and help us do that! Next year, we hope to sanction the race and get several bands for entertainment!
Thanks Kent for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!
Click here to view the event details of the The Dehydrator 2012
