On March 5th and 6th, several members of Team Suicide Prevention participated in perhaps the most consequential event that we’ve done by completing the two-day ASIST workshop.
Gobbler Gravel Grinder
November 19th - The 1st Gobbler Gravel Grinder is in the books.
The rain scared away some riders but those who showed up in the rain were glad they got to ride after it cleared up. The weather was perfect and the rain held the dust down.
Our good friend Chris King with Chris King Counseling gave an inspiring talk regarding mental health and the warning signs associated with depression. Mary Ligon talked about Coffee Bunker, helping our veterans and how our partnership has been so successful. We had the drawing for the Denago ebike and The Denago Ebike winner is Vicki Strode of Tulsa Oklahoma.
Most of all we made $2,400.00 from raffle sales which will be put to good use supporting organizations within our community.
It’s events like this and our fundraising that allows us to give back to the organizations working to save lives.
Many thanks to our team volunteers who worked hard to make this gravel ride event successful.
We are so blessed to have outstanding team mates.
Thank you Bixby Bicycles for all that you do by providing needed assistance towards our goals and objectives.
Join us when TSP and Bixby Bicycles host this event again next year.
Join the winnning team.
www.teamsuicideprevention.com
Congratulations to The Denago Ebike winner - Vicki Strode of Tulsa Oklahoma.
Out of The Darkness Walk
On September 30, 2023, Team Suicide Prevention participated as a sponsor in the AFSP’s Walk Out of The Darkness community walk. This event gives people the courage to open up about their own connections to the cause of suicide prevention, and a platform to create a culture that’s smarter about mental health.
Tour De Cowtown
The latest edition of the Tour De Cowtown was held last weekend in Coweta. The bicycle event was a wonderful success thanks to the amazing sponsors, spectators, volunteers, and bicycle riders of all ages.
A Little early rain, but the cloud cover kept it cool and comfortable for riders and volunteers.Thank you to all the Team Suicide Volunteers and Bixby teammates who made this event possible. Most of all to my friend and partner Buster Brown who has been my biggest supporter for Suicide Prevention. We have worked for months in the planning stages and then it all came together. Thank you Team Crude for joining our event and becoming the finish line cheer squad. You guys were awesome. Thank you Coffee Bunker for your volunteer support. Thank you Chris King owner of Chris King Counseling who continues to support TSP yet on the front lines helping others especially our young kids and teens who struggle with depression and mental health.
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among our young. - Bill Taitano
The Tour de Cowtown Bike Event
Bixby Bicycles and Team Suicide Prevention - Tulsa Ironman
When you use the phase - “Service, Support, and Assistance to Our Community”, you must include Buster Brown and his amazing team at Bixby Bicycles in that discussion. Last evening, (Wednesday), Buster assembled his team of incredible athletes who have all been training the last eight months or more to compete in the Tulsa Ironman event this Sunday for an evening of celebration and accomplishment for all of the hard work that his team of athletes and their families have endured for this event.
Four Old Guys on Bicycles
Four old guys just riding our bikes,
It’s been my honor and pleasure to have spent thousands of miles on my bicycle with three other “old” guys riding our bicycles to help save lives to raise awareness and money for suicide prevention. This time last year, our team of four riders and six supporting crew members were in the final stages of training for the June, 2022 Race Across the West, a 925 mile ultra endurance bicycle race from Oceanside, California to Durango, Colorado. We would compete against some of the best endurance riders in the world riding across the deserts of Arizona and over mountain passes of Utah and Colorado pedaling around the clock to reach the finish line. We would be lead by our team captain, Bill Taitano, a spring chicken of 74 years. And riding along with him was Joel Kantor at 65 years, myself, Craig Jackson at 67 years, and the youngster rider Tim Whiteside at 64 years old. We are true believers that staying in motion is a key factor in longevity and vibrance. To learn more about us and our support crew, please visit www.teamsuicideprevention.com. Through the support from people like you, we’ve been able to raise and to donate thousands of dollars to local organizations on the front lines of promoting suicide prevention and assisting families who have lost loved ones to suicide.
So how do you train for a 925 mile race? Well, you ride your bicycle thousands of miles. You ride in the hot and the cold, under the blue sky and in the rain, and you ride during the day and night. Between the four of us, we collectively rode over 30,000 miles in 2021 some of which included miles we raced during the Race Across America( RAAM) which is a 3,037 mile race from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland. Our eight rider team finished in 8d 0h 4m. To say that we were exhausted is an understatement.
Crossing the starting line in Oceanside was exciting but we knew we had real work to do to conquer the 925 miles that awaited us. We’d endure temperatures up to 118 degrees with high dusty winds in the desert, and low temperatures in upper 30’s summiting a few mountain passes. We’d be taking turns riding all day and all night until we reached the finish line in Durango.
After finishing RAAM, something amazing happened. After a few weeks of recovery, the idea to attempt another grand adventure began to crystallize. The sister race to RAAM is called the Race Across the West (RAW). The organizations that we worked so hard to support still needed our help. The idea took hold and our four “old man” team for RAW was created with our incredible crew to support us. With amazing team work, we reached the finish line in Durango last June in a time of 2d 13h 15m. Even while shared amongst the four of us, those were the hardest 925 miles I’ve ever experienced. On two occasions after hard climbing efforts, I literally had to be picked up off the pavement. So what do you do after finishing something like that? Well, we took some time off and then continued to have fun on our bikes for the remainder of the summer and into the fall of 2022.
Wew finished the race at 4am completely exhausted after having at least one rider pedaling during our 2d 13h effort.
So often, you only hear about the excitement, the accomplishments, and the successes on journeys such as this. There’s often other aspects of these stories which can be more monumental than the original story. Being old guys, we carry a lot of baggage, scars, and bruises with us that have accumulated over the years. November and December of 2022 was pretty consequential. After years of discomfort, Bill finally decided to have a difficult knee replacement surgery in November. Meanwhile, Joel was on a ski trip in Utah and experienced a crash that resulted in a broken shoulder. After returning to Tulsa, he had shoulder surgery with rods and screws installed. In December, after riding months with pain, I had my third surgery on my foot/ankle to remove bone spurs, scar tissue, and to inspect the six anchor points that are holding my Achilles together. We were all quick to insist that Tim stay away from anything risky to avoid an injury else have all four of us under doctors’ care and in some type of recovery/rehabilitation. There were some very difficult weeks as we had to shut down to let our bodies heal.
Now that April and spring time is here, we are all to the point of restarting our outdoor bike riding, albeit with a fresh focus on moderation and safety, at least until we figure out our new “limitations”. But, we can still dream. Bill, Joel, and Tim have been riding well. I’ve been stuck riding on my indoor trainer as I work the kinks out of my ankle/foot. After logging a bit over 7,000 miles last year, I’ve been reluctant to push myself too hard. I can’t stand the thought of having my ankle opened up again for another repair. I’m working hard to get back to my “new normal”. Our first big ride adventure of 2023 is an event called the Triple Bypass this July. The classic Triple is a bucket-list event across the nation, and for good reason. Leaving from Evergreen, CO, we pedal over Juniper, Loveland and Vail passes for 118 miles in the high mountains with 10,800 feet of amazing climbing. But get this, there is beer and a party at the finish line, No idea what could go wrong on this adventure. You think? 🤷🏾♂️ But that’s the beauty of being four old guys. We pretty much know a thing-or-two about pushing ourselves forward and we don’t see any good reason to stop doing that now.
We still ride our bikes to raise awareness for Suicide Prevention and we continue to appreciate the gracious support to help organizations like Hope is Oxygen, Hope is Alive, and The Coffee Bunker. If you’d like to join us on this journey, please feel free to visit our website at www.teamsuicideprevention.com and learn about the organizations that are so important to help save lives to the epidemic of suicide.
Thank You
Craig
Supporting our Veterans
As a result of a joint teamwork effort between Team Suicide Prevention, the wonderful leadership and infectious enthusiasm of Buster Brown, owner of Bixby Bicycles, and the gracious volunteers provided by Dr. Michael Horton (USAF), Executive Director of the Coffee Bunker, the Tour De Cowtown bicycle event that was held in Coweta, Oklahoma on September 17 was an outstanding success.
As a result of those efforts, the Team Suicide Prevention team along with Buster Brown gathered together on Monday, November 14th to present Michael Horton and the Coffee Bunker a check in the amount of $2,000.
If It's October, It's Pumpkin Holler Gravel Time
On Sunday, October 16th, the gravel grinder will be held alongside the already established Pumpkin Holler 100 mile running race and will share the road with the 100 mile runners as they are finishing up their event. You will do one loop for the 30 or two loops for the 60 with a 10 mile out and back in the middle of your first loop for the 70 milers.
Walk Out of Darkness
On Saturday, September 24th, Team Suicide Prevention members came together to participate in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Walk Out of Darkness Event held this year in Jenks, Oklahoma. These community events are held in hundreds of cities across the country to bring friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers together to walk side-by-side supporting each other and in memory of those that have been lost to suicide. In doing so, these walks help raise awareness and much-needed funds to strongly sending the message that suicide is preventable, and that no one is alone.
Time to Ride/Race
The summer of 2022 is almost over but don’t let that slow your roll. We’ve got some exciting bicycle riding and racing events coming your way during the coming weeks right here in the local Tulsa area. As you know, Team Suicide Prevention rides and races our bicycles to raise awareness for Suicide Prevention.
Spreading Hope with Linda Pulver
On Friday, July 29, 2022, Team Suicide Prevention met up with Linda Pulver of Hope Is Oxygen at the amazing BEHEARD PopUp Care Village Event in Tulsa to make a donation to support her mission in delivering Hope to families affected by suicide. A check for $2,000 was presented to Hope Is Oxygen on behalf of Team Suicide Prevention. This donation will help Linda and her team purchase supplies for Gifts of Hope Packs, Gifts of Hope Art Therapy Coloring Books, Suicide Prevention Stickers with Crisis Hotline Number/Text Numbers, and Gifts of Boxes of Hope.
From the words of Linda - “According to the World Health Organization, almost 800,000 people die every year from suicide. At Hope is Oxygen, we believe that number can be reduced. Dramatically reduced. Suicidal people are desperately attempting to escape suffering that feels unbearable. They have lost hope. Suicidal people are so blinded by their desire for their emotional pain to stop that they see no way to relief other than through death. They have lost hope. Most suicidal people are deeply conflicted about ending their lives. They wish for an alternative, but they just don’t see one. They have lost hope. At Hope is Oxygen, we believe that one of the most important ways we can help prevent suicide is by restoring hope.”
Spreading Hope
Team Suicide Prevention is proud to help support Linda and her team and we would like to sincerely thank our supporters for their contributions to enable donations like this possible.
In 2021, Team Suicide Prevention finished the 3,007 mile Race Across America and just a few short weeks ago, we completed the 930 Race Across The West. We ride our bicycles to raise awareness for suicide prevention and to spread hope.
We invite you to visit our website and learn more about our mission to raise awareness for suicide prevention and to spread hope.
Thanks for your support.
Kudos to the BEHEAD Team for the wonderful work they are doing.
cj
RAW - The Race
This is a follow up post regarding the Team Suicide Prevention journey to the finish of the 2022 Race Across The West which took the racers and crew across a grueling 930+ mile route from Oceanside, California to Durango, Colorado. The previous post highlighted our journey and preparations to get to the starting line on June 14th. This post includes highlights for the team from the starting line to the finish line after an effort that took 2 days 14 hours and 46 minutes to cover the 930 miles.
RAW - The Finish
It's Time To Race
What time is it? It’s time to race. On June 14th, four racers from Team Suicide Prevention - Bill Taitano, Joel Kantor, Tim Whiteside, and Craig Jackson will be on starting line for the 2022 Race Across The West , a 930 miles endurance bike race. We will ride day and night. We race to raise awareness for Suicide Prevention and to fundraise for local organizations in our Tulsa community on the front lines to help save lives. The race starts in Oceanside, California and finishes in Durango, Colorado. Yep, you guessed right, as there’s nothing flat on this route. There’s about 50,000 feet of climbing and we have 68 hours to get to the finish. If you haven’t already, I ask you to please support us in our efforts to spread hope and help save lives. Check out our website at https://www.teamsuicideprevention.com and make a tax deductible donation to support our mission.
The 930 mile Race Across The West route travels west to east from the sandy beaches of Oceanside, over the Sierra Mountains and into the scorching Mojave and Sonoran deserts and eventually ending up on the Animas River nestled in the Rocky Mountain town of Durango.
We invite you to come with us and share the excitement of our trek across the hot wind blown desert, monster mountain climbs and exhilarating descents with live GPS tracking available at this link: https://www.raceacrossthewest.org/live-tracking. Our two support vehicles will be on the road during the entire 930 miles day and night with our amazing crew members Marvin Lee, Ashley Robinson, Carol Hughes, Cynthia Whiteside, Duvane Ashe-Kenny, and Charlotte Lindley,who make this possible.
Thanks for your support.
cj
Into The Night
Ride, Rinse, Rest, Repeat
This past weekend, the team came together to practice rider exchanges during a 150 mile training ride from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Perkins, Oklahoma. We used this opportunity to simulate the actual race conditions using route books, gps mapping, vehicle safety lights, rider safety lights, etc. to get as realistic as possible during this training session. Even the weather appeared to cooperate as we had consistent southerly winds of 20 mph gusting up to 42 mph and even had periods of drizzle during the 150 loop. The route included lots of short climbs as well.
The Four - One for All - All for One!
We are not exactly the Fantastic Four, however, we are four perhaps slightly better than average "old guy" bicycle riders. We are Bill Taitano (PaPa), Joel Kantor, Tim Whiteside, and Craig Jackson. Between the four of us, our total time on earth is 270 years.
Read about the four racers on Team Suicide Prevention who will race in the Race Across The West
Race Across The West
Team Suicide Prevention Spreading Hope
The team would like to extend our sincere thanks to our gracious supporters who have provided prayers, moral support, and financial support to this cause which has enabled Team Suicide Prevention to initiate our Team Suicide Prevention Give Back to Spread Hope initiative in the form of $5,000 donations each to Linda Pulver, Founder of Hope is Oxygen and Dr. Michael Horton, Executive Director at The Coffee Bunker. Team Suicide Prevention could not have asked for two better partners to focus our efforts on to help save lives and spread hope.
Team Suicide Prevention Making A Difference
Every member of Team Suicide Prevention is compassionate and has a deep desire to help those in need. This past summer, our team of eight racers and eight crew participated in the Race Across America spreading a message of hope and awareness that Suicide is preventable. Even after our finish of the Race Across America in June (3,030 miles in 7d 19h 34m), our team members continue to engage with outreach projects and events that enable us to continue our mission in spreading hope and delivering the message that suicide is preventible and there are organizations such as Hope is Oxygen, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and The Coffee Bunker in our communities there are in place to help fight the suicide epidemic and offer much needed support to those individuals and families in need.