Emily's Parade

Big Wall

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I was part of the most amazing ride this last Saturday. Emily Keys was killed by a maniac who entered her High School, took several girls hostage and then shot her and himself. Her family started a foundation to raise money to help the girls who were taken hostage, and to try to make our schools safer for our children.

When they pulled the permit for this ride, they estimated that 200 bikes would show up. The last bike count that I heard was 5,000. The ride couldn't start on time because of the bikes still pouring into the parking lot and then the police had to decide how they were going to control traffic for us.
 
Amazing. Biggest ride I've ever been on was the annual Toy Ride in Anaheim, CA. www.toyride.org. I don't remember how many bikes there were but we took up five lanes (or was it only four) of major freeway for lots of miles.

It was nowhere near 5,000 bikes, though. Way cool.

--Wag--
 
This first pic is in the parking lot at Columbine High School. They were helping out the school in Bailey since they have some experience with slime balls shooting kids.

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Keep in mind that this is just one parking lot. There were at least two other lots full of bikes.

This next pic is of a fender on a bike near me.

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When Emily was in the room with the guy who shot her, someone sent her a text message saying "R U OK?"

The reply she sent out, apparently to several people, was "I love U guys."  That was the last anyone heard from Emily.

Here is another pic from the Columbine parking lot

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Before we left Columbine High School, baloons were realeased and "Somewhere over the Rainbow"  was played.  Then the parents of the girls who were in the room with Emily were given white roses.  Emily's mom asked everyone to go to their bikes, then had everyone start them up and rev their engines.  I'm glad I had ear plugs in, because it was deafening even with them.  Where ever Emily is, I know she heard us.  

As we left the parking lot the parents of the girls were standing at the exit, waving their thanks to us.  I lost it then.  I had tears in my eyes many times throught the ride.

The biggest surprise came as we left.  Hundreds of people were on the sides of the road with signs of suport for Emily's family and thanking us.  Ther was a little old lady who stopped on the side of a busy 4 lane highway, got out of her car and was waving her scarf for us.

There were little kids with their parents waving and cheering.  The ride was about fifty miles long.  There were people on the side of the road for the whole ride, standing on overpasses, in pull outs, everywhere.  Many were wearing pink shirts.  Pink was Emily's favorite color.

2000 shirts were printed for people to buy.  All 2000 were sold.  Order forms were set out so you could order a shirt if you couldn't get a shirt that day.  I got a pink one for my wife and I.

Teh ride got a bit strung out, because of traffic and a construction zone that snarled things up even worse.  Nothing could make this ride bad though.  This was Emily's Parade.

I decided to pull over and become a spectator at one point.  Here is a pic of that.  You can see a few people here waving to the riders.

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As we neared the school where Emily was killed, the number of spectators grew. More little old ladies, more familys, more signs thanking us and memoralizing Emily. Hundreds and hundreds of people were out supporting us and themselves. Pink ribbons were tied to everything that didn't move, and some to things that did. This tiny little community is pulling together to heal itself.

At Platte Canyon High School, the room for parking was running out. Bikes started parking along the sides of the highway.

Here is a picture of the school. The school is really pretty huge for this being such a small community.

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I didn't stay at the school long. I had a relative get into town and had to go see him. On my ride back I realized that it was 3:00 o'clock and that I hadn't eaten all day. I stopped at a Subway in a small town on my way back to Denver. Two separate people came up to me and thanked me for being a part of the ride. I talked some with each of them and then they we each went on with what we were doing.

It didn't understand until later why they would be thanking me. To me I was just a guy on a bike. To them I was a part of an embrace that made them feel just a little better after a horrible, horrible event.

I will NEVER forget this ride.
 
i am amazed at the love people can have for someone. that was a beautiful thing what all you did.
 
Someone needs to dig up the POS who killed those kids, and kill him some more...
On a more serious note, the ride was a good thing, for a good cause...
Good for them...


David
 
Amazing...I saw this on the national news as well...so glad the turnout was more than expected. I'm sure Emily's family was proud
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That's truly awesome. You've put a tear in my eye.

Thanks for taking the time to write that up.

--Wag--
 
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