Marcelo Ortigao

Dear FoCo Chapter GCC'ers,

Many in this group and all around Fort Collins have been directly or indirectly affected by pediatric cancer. I, for instance, lost my daughter Juliana (pic attached) to DIPG just five and a half years ago. The pain of losing a child is skin deep but somehow we learn to cope and keep the memory of our loved ones alive. And we also fight that others perhaps don't need to go through the same. This is my 4th year doing the GCC and my pledge from the start was/is to ride every day in September. I cycle with different groups and riders in the area, and distances typically range from 35 to 100+ miles.

During this month's GCC, I'd like to suggest a group ride when we could all get together, ride and share a little of our GCC history. If you think this is a good idea, please let me know. One option would be for us to join one of the Fort Collins Cycling Club (FCCC) rides. Though not an official member of the club, I ride with them on occasion. Their rides vary from a moderately fast (B+) to slow paced (D). As an avid cyclist, I often join the fastest group but would not mind toning it down some. Alternatively, we could set up our own group ride for a day. Let me know and shoot me your ideas too! Look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Marcelo