2013 December PASO Magazine

Once again...your heart
was BIG, Paso Robles
By Chuck Desmond
It was just 3 months ago, in
September, on The Last Word
page as well of your Paso Robles
Magazine, where the gauntlet
was laiddown - HOW BIG
IS YOUR HEART?
The topic was the RIDE 2
RECOVERY, a 470 mile bike
ride from the VA hospital in
Palo Alto to the Santa Monica
Pier. Begun in 2007 by a former
bicycling specialist, it is now
part of the therapy that our
military personnel might use
when returning from active deployment.
No matter what they
may have suffered, be it physical,
emotional or otherwise, bike
riding has proven to help our
Healing Heroes.
No disabled vet is asked to
pay a single dime to participate
in these events and they
are open to participation from
across America. Bob Rollins,
a member of Paso’s Planning
Commission and a vet himself, first rode 2 years ago
in California’s venue event. It‘s called the Golden
State-California Challenge. The events are sanctioned
by the military and all funds raised are used
to provide custom-made bicycles for recovering
military personnel. Use your imagination to realize
that many riders have lost one or multiple limbs
while protecting us. Mental or emotional scars
run just as deep. Making a bicycle that these men
and women can use is often a very tricky design
and manufacturing task. The process takes place in
Ohio and it requires money to get them built.
Bob Rollins
Bob set out to put a significant dent in that goal.
You see, he was challenged by a rider three years ago
who asked him how come it was that he, as a thenstill-active
military person, had all his limbs and
wasn’t riding in the event?
Message received! Passion took over.
Bob reached out and with a boost from the
story in the Paso Magazine plus local service clubs
and businesses and an auction at Kennedy Fitness,
he set a personal goal of $3,000 but raised over
$5100. And yes, he also rode the entire distance
– Bob has now done it twice!
This year the riders assembled in Palo Alto on October
12th and on the 13th, 200 full-ride riders set
out for the trip that ended on the 19th. One day
was a 90 miler! The rest averaged about 60 miles
and elevation swings were as much as 10,000 feet.
Law enforcement gave protection on the highways
and local hospitals along the way provided ambulance
coverage as well. Hotels deep-discounted
their nightly rates and all kinds of
organizations supplied food and
beverages for the trip. “Ride support”
companies donated maintenance-team
personnel and trucks
full of spare tires, wheels, and the
myriad of problematic things
that can happen to a bike on a
470 mile trip. Along the way, local
riders did day-trips with the
convoy to show their support as
well. Four individuals from Paso
are on that list. Whole classes of
school kids came out to cheer
and wave flags from various cities
along the route. As the conclave
approached the end, there were
an estimated 250 additional riders
for the last few miles!
Fellow Roblans. We are all
very busy. We see that every day.
We hear it in every phone conversation
and in every meeting.
For a city of 30,000, sometimes it
seems we have 3 million because
there is just so much to do. The
point is that at some level, we
can never allow ourselves to forget. Never, ever forget
the women and men who give and gave so much
for us so that we don’t have to!
In this regard, Bob Rollins is showing how big the
hearts of Roblans are. If this cause moves you to action,
you can contact Bob at BRollins@charter.net.
There are many Bob Rollins types in El Paso
de Robles. To all of you who help others in your
invisible and quiet ways and for the programs you
choose to sponsor and make such huge differences
to our town, may God Bless each and every one of
you this Christmas Season!
46 East Storage 64
911 Supply House 43
A Beautiful Face 34
Adelaide Advisors 59
Adelaide Floral 33
Advanced Concrete 57
Advanced Construction 53
Alliance Board Co. 7
American Oak 3
Artworks 55
Arlyne’s Flowers 21
Atascadero Insurance 61
Athlon 61
Baker, Richard 59
Bankston, Kim 15
Barto, JR Heating 61
Beehive Salon 42
Berry Hill Bistro 17
BlakesTrueValue 53
Blakeslee & Blakeslee 57
Blenders 29
Body Basics 58
Bresk, Helena 58
Bridge Sportsmen 54
Cambria Nursery 49
Cantrelle Painting 39
Casey Print 65
Casper, EJ, DDS 44
Chains Required 64
Chalekson, Dr. Char 47
Cider Creek 43
City-Recreation 2
Cold Stone Creamery 26
Colton, Dr. Kevin 46
Connect Home Loans 31
Country Florist 16
Country Oaks Glass 45
Davis Water Cond 34
Dawg on It 55
Delightful Desserts 25
Designs by Pam 52
Dharma Yoga Studio 55
Diamond West Farming 52
Divine Party 7
Dutch Maytag 27
Eddington Funeral Svs 39
El Paso de Robles Hist. 63
El Paso Storage 55
Ephraim Pottery West 50
Estrella Warbirds 62
First Baptist 15
Forsythe, Dr. 57
Frontier Floors 21
Gallagher Video 25
DIRECTORY TO OUR ADVERTISERS
General Store PR 28
Gettmann, Mary Ann 43
Gilliss, Keith/PRIME 23
Golden Collar 58
GRL Computing 26
Griffin Chiropractic 21
Harris Stage 52
Healthy Inspirations 16
Healthy Skin by Karen 43
Heart to Heart RE 15
HFG Insurance 15
Home Elegance 20
Hunter Ranch 12
Idler’s 4
Jaffa Cafe 7
Joe’s Plumbing 62
Kaya 7
Lansford Dental 33
Life Community Church 61
Lily’s Yogurt 63
Lube N Go 64
Main St Animal Hospital 47
MD Spa 42
Medallion Mortgage 29
Michael’s Optical 29
Mikulics 59
Moffatt, Jim 60
Moonstones 51
Natural Alternative 57
Natural Health Sol 48
Nature’s Remedy 55
NCDPAF - Nutcracker 29
Nose to Tail 62
Oaks Hotel 35
Odyssey Cafe 42
Orthopedic Spec Assoc 35
PAN Jewelers 36,37,68
Panolivo 30
Papich Construction 45
Park Cinemas 35
Park Street Merchants 7
Paso Massage Therapy 45
Paso PetCare 39
PR Chamber 55
PR District Cemetery 34
PR Door & Trim 23
PR Furniture 7
PR Glass 39
PR Golf Club 24
PR Handyman 45
PR Heat 41
PR Inn 27
PR Insurance 31
PR Magazine - Dist 50
PR Main St - BINGO 6
PR Pet Boarding 27
PR Safe & Lock 31
PR Sports Club 21
PR Waste 65
Patterson Realty 25
Photo Stop 23
Plaza Cleaners 45
Pro Handyman 63
Pure Elements 41
Railsback Insurance 60
Revive Massage 62
River Oaks 32
Robert’s Weddings 28
Robin’s 51
Ross, SharonCC Mort 57
Sancho’s on Spring 41
Scoles, Patsy Law Office 45
Sealed with a Kiss 15
Secret Strands 48
Skin by Alicia 47
Siegel’s 7
Smile N Style 59
Solaralos 32
Solarponics 39
Sotheby’s - Crabtree 10
Sotheby’s - Desmond 5
Sotheby’s - York 11
Sousa and Company 25
Spice of Life 15
Sprain Draperies 45
Stein’s BBQ 58
Stifel Nicolaus 20
Stottzfus, Abby 30
Susies Dog Grooming 56
Takkens 23
Ted Hamm Ins 54
Templeton Chamber 46
The Dish 44
The Mobile Oil Chgs 45
Touch of Paso 23
Tree of Life 30
Tubb, J.K. Landscaping 56
Union Bank 9
Vic’s Catering 33
Western Heritage RE 13
Western Janitorial 57
Whitehorse 54
Windancers Gallery 51
Worship Directory 66
December 2013, Paso Robles Magazine 67