Have you checked out the fan page for the Bob’s Red Mill Cyclocross Team yet? It’s a great way to cheer on our team without braving the elements. Stop by and post some support for the guys, I know they’ll appreciate it. The page is also a fabulous way to track our fundraising for the Community Cycling Center and see updated photos from the races.

There were many flat tire mishaps yesterday at Villebois in Wilsonville. Only two out of our three riders completed the race. Trey Winthrop (pictured right) took 11th out of the 100+ racers in the Men’s Beginner category. Way to go Trey!

To add to the excitement, the guys have raised over $1000 for the cycling center- that’s 20 bikes for kids in need! We’re aiming to raise enough money for 80 bikes this year.

The next race is Sunday, October 19th at Rainier High School in Rainier, Oregon. Parking for the race is $5, with all of the money raised going to scholarships for Rainier High School students. Come on down, show your support for the races and Rainier High School, and get some hot oatmeal!

Bo Thomas is the head of our Engineering and Maintenance department; he also heads up our comic relief team. An Oregon native, Bo has worked for Bob’s Red Mill for over 18 years and has been keeping everyone in stitches since day one. When asked what he loved about his job, Bo enthusiastically replied “Number 1, I really feel like our company is providing something that is good for people. Number 2, we have good people! Number 3, it’s just so interesting! Working with machinery and observing the physics of the different grains. Wheat acts differently than corn. Teff acts differently than soy beans.”

Bo’s first job was picking strawberries, “I really didn’t enjoy it because most of the other kids just wanted to goof-off. It was very sobering to observe the migrant workers and their reaction to us kids. We were out there for fun and a little money. They were there with their families, working very hard to maintain a level of subsistence that I never had to experience.”

Bo is a hard worker with a big heart. When asked to describe his ideal day off in three words, he said, “My lovely wife.” You can find Bo gardening, watching NASCAR and reading in his free time. He enjoys playing the piano both at home and, to the enjoyment of our employees, on one of our pianos here at the mill. He would pick invisibility, if given a superpower and has a penchant for oatmeal cookies.

Bo can bring a smile to the face of almost anyone and is always thinking up new ways to improve production and solve challenges around the mill. Bob’s Red Mill just wouldn’t be the same without him.

A steely gray sky laced with rain clouds greeted me as I groggily got ready for work on Sunday morning. Yes, I admit it, despite my anticipation for Cyclocross to kick-off this weekend- I was not overly eager to leave my warm bed so early.

Once set in motion, however, my body caught up and was ready to go by the time I pulled up to the Alpenrose Dairy. I got to our booth almost an hour before the first races and was astounded by the number of people and bikes everywhere I looked. It began raining upon my arrival and I could tell that it was going to be a perfect day for hot oatmeal.

To my surprise, Cyclocross is a very family-oriented event. Husbands, wives, children and dogs shivered and cheered for their riders. The sound of cowbells filled the air when racers flew by on the course. We were fortunate to be located near some of the obstacles and got to watch riders carry their bikes up the stairs, hop on, ride around, hop off, jump over hurdles, get back on… it was a spectacle to say the least.

 

Riders splattered with mud flooded our booth in droves for the oats- some coming back for seconds and thirds. It was a lot of fun to reward their racing efforts with something as comforting as hot oatmeal. We dished out approximately 500 bowls of hot steel-cut oats to muddy, cold riders and their family and friends. On top of that we raised approximately $478 for the Community Cycling Center to help get more kids on bikes. (Bob’s Red Mill is matching every dollar donated by the public and $10 for each lap our riders complete.) Our first race raised enough money for almost 10 bikes for kids in
need!

 

We’ll be there this coming Sunday at Villebois in Wilsonville- stop by and say hello! Get some oats, help us raise money for the CCC and cheer on our team!

P.S. The Bob’s Red Mill team came in 31st, 37th and 93rd out of a field of 139 riders in the beginner’s category. Way to go, guys!