May 11, 2009
Veteran volunteers share Bike MS memories
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| Craig Hanson |
Craig Hanson, a longtime volunteer ride marshal for Bike MS events, said he got involved as a way to support friends living with multiple sclerosis. Since the inception of Bike MS: Star Tribune TRAM Ride 20 years ago, Hanson has volunteered for every ride but one. The one year he missed was because of his own wedding.
As a ride marshal, Hanson rides the entire route to ensure the safety of cyclists, which is one of his favorite things about The Ride Across Minnesota. “TRAM gives me a chance to see all different parts of the state,” Hanson said. “But the best part is that I get to see those places at a much slower pace than if I were driving a car.”
Hanson, who says the northern routes are his favorite, also looks forward to meeting new people every year and reconnecting with old friends. In addition to volunteering, Hanson has raised nearly $50,000 for the MS Society.
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| Curt Muller |
For Curt Muller, a 12-year TRAM intersection safety volunteer, the weather-related memories stick out the most.
During the 2005 ride, while staying in Biwabik, Minn., Muller recalls waking up to find ice on the windshield of his motor home. That morning, cyclists also woke up to find their bikes covered in ice. “As it turns out, that was the coldest day ever recorded in July,” Muller said.
Muller also remembers a close call on the 2003 TRAM Ride in Redwood Falls, Minn., when he and other volunteers and staff had to escort hundreds of cyclists to safety shelters due to a tornado warning.
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