Andrew Heckman Going Home and 2003 Ride Heats up!!

- NBG Relay Cyclist, Andrew Heckman, the man who we saw teeter between life and death last summer
after a car driver left him for dead on a stormy Illinois night, has not only astonished us by
following thru on his marriage plans and also riding a bike again as per
http://www.patfuel.com/Phoenix_Boy.html, but he and his dedicated wife, Lisa, are moving back to
Portland, OR!! From the Chicago, IL area. WoW.

Andrew, who has been convalescing at his parent's house, still lives with a lot of pain and he has
his good days and his bad but by continuing to live powerfully and authentically, he is showing the
world what can be done when one finds ways to laugh with what comes ones way! If you want to shoot
him some E, or can help him and Lisa with their huge return move from outside of Chicago to
Portland, he can be reached at [email protected]

- Our next summer's ride is already starting to heat up. See the exciting schedule at
http://www.bikeroute.com/NationalMayorsRide

- And Phil Koopman, of City Bikes http://citybikes.com, has once again agreed to use part of the
Bike to Work breakfast that his bike shop serves as the main sponsor for, to kick our ride off
from Washington
DC. And like last year, bike riding Mayor, Anthony Williams, who has played a large part in changing
the two wheel landscape in the Nation's Capitol, will likely be on hand to send our relay
cyclists on their way.

- Michael Sobkowiak of the Western Pennsylvania Field Institute http://www.wpfi.org is leaving no
stone unturned as he and the WPFI staff, in addition to all the exciting plans they have for our
arrival, have set the wheels in motion to recruit riders from Washington DC 245 miles away. And
for a new group to carry the NBG torch to Columbus 185 miles to the east. And is this man a house
of fire. His efforts are just one more reason why Pittsburgh is becoming a true bicycle heaven.

- As for the terminus for all this excitement, we got word that not only is Penninger Recumbent
http://www.PenningerRecumbents.com sponsoring the San Jose to Santa Cruz link, but Parkinson's
Disease ambassador, Jim 'Parky' Wetherell http://www.Inevergiveup.org, will be on a Penninger
trike as he leads that group of riders right into our Festival at San Lorenzo Park. A much in
demand celebrity crowd pleaser, unofficially dubbed the reigning Mayor of the Great Western Bike
Rally, Parky will bring lots of excitement to Santa Cruz as he connects San Jose Mayor Ron
Gonzales and Santa Cruz Mayor Emily Reilly with one another with his ride.

- Sacramento is also back on board with an early start. Rick Steele of Cold Country Cyclery
http://www.tandems-recumbents.com is once again sponsoring that relay link and Carol Stubbs in the
Mayor's office there tells me that Heather Fargo is much looking forward to our arrival as she and
Velda Solomon are already talking about how to make next year even bigger!

- We are looking for other Point Persons. If you would like to help your favorite NBG Proclamation
City, shine in a big way for our arrival, we need you. Velda will be happy to show you what she is
doing to get the bike clubs, bike people and press involved in what we are doing. Reply
accordingly!

So much excitement -- THX for thinking Big Thoughts with me as we press forward -- Yahooo!!!!!!

--
M A R T I N K R I E G : "Awake Again" Author Bent Since '83, Car Free Since '89, Attacking with
Love Coma, Paralysis, Clinical Death Survivor '79 & '86 TransAm Vet - Invites you to:
http://www.BikeRoute.com/SCNBGFest N A T I O N A L B I C Y C L E G R E E N W A Y