“It’s something brand new,” says Staff Sergeant Lee Slater, spokesperson for the U.S Armed Forces Cycling Team of the support his team has received from the community as it embarks on its first ever Tour de ‘Toona.
Slater’s team is bringing 14 people to the local week-long stage race in the hopes of preparing nine of the cyclists to excel at the Third Military World Games in Italy in September.
Slater says the Tour de ‘Toona can give the team an extra edge in Italy in September.
“The Tour de ‘Toona is a stage race. It notches up your level of fitness,” said Slater. “When it’s over, you recover for a week, then you’re stronger. The biggest thing about the Tour de ‘Toona is the location. It’s in the mountains.
“And this is the first time the team has met multiple times before the race in Europe. Before, there was no real coming together (until the race in Europe). This whole thing has generated a lot of momentum. It’s now a six to eight month commitment instead of a four to six week commitment. The standard is going up, which is good.”
Slater says the team includes members of every branch of the Armed Forces even though getting a spot on the team is based on achievement. Team members are stationed in various places from Quantico, Virginia, to Schwetzingen and Ramstein, Germany, and from Aviano Air Force Base to Dallas, Texas. They all have full time jobs unrelated to their role as cyclists. They are all subject to deployment.
Like many other teams participating in the local race, the team needed housing and help with the logistical details associated with the race.
People in the community provide free housing for many of the cyclists, but teams also need help transporting their equipment and manning the feed stations for the cyclists through the daily stages of the race.
For the Armed Forces Team, the local chapter of Armed Forces Mothers has delivered in a big way.
In other places, he says, “We’ve had help from recruiters, but (the local support for the team) is really something special. It shows the community is there and in tune with what’s going on.”
Lou Ann Leamer, spokesperson for the Armed Forces Mothers says it’s nothing the moms wouldn’t do for their own children.
“Because they’re like our own kids,” she said. “They’re in the service. Our kids are in the service. We support our kids. We support them no matter what they do.”
Leamer has coordinated housing for the team, (”Fortunately, we were able to get all the guys a bed.”) transportation for the team’s equipment through the local Army Recruiting Office. And the local Naval Recruiter has committed to fulfilling feed station responsibilities on Thursday in Hollidaysburg. He’s still working on setting things up for Wednesday’s race from Johnstown to Altoona.
And that is not all.
Leamer says the moms have volunteered to do the laundry for the group and the cooking has already begun.
“When my kids were in the service, the first thing they wanted to do when they came home is eat, and the first thing I wanted to do is cook. It’s just like that for the Armed Forces Mothers. They are our kids. That’s the way the rest of the country should look at them. They have earned our help,” she said.
But it’s nothing new, says Leamer.
“Any time we have approached the community for support, we’ve gotten it. Not only the military community, but the civilian community as well. Our Christmas Box Project is an example.
“We bake cookies. We make fudge. We sent 75 boxes last year. Don’t even ask me about the postage,” she said.
I asked anyway.
Leamer says the group raises funds for expenses like the Christmas Box postage through various fundraisers throughout the year–a bake sale in the fall and selling MTO tickets. The group is already gearing up for the Bellwood Street Fair on the first Saturday in October. The Christmas Boxes are shipped to local military personnel wherever they are stationed.
Leamer’s admirations for the members of the Armed Forces Team shines through her voice – although it is somewhat strained by a cold this week.
“They are doing a job. And they’re doing while they all have full time jobs. Whatever they need to get the job done, we’re going to get it for them if it’s within our strength.”
The Tour de ‘Toona begins on Monday with the Time Trial at the Horseshoe Curve in Altoona. Tuesday’s race is a circuit race in Johnstown. On Wednesday, the cyclists wind their way from Johnstown to the Logan Valley Mall in Altoona. Thursday and Friday feature circuit races in Hollidaysburg and Martinsburg respectively.
Saturday is the 95 mile road race beginning and ending at the Jaffa Mosque in Altoona. Sunday is the finale – the criterium in Downtown Altoona.
The race still needs road marshals and drivers. To volunteer, call 949-7223.
To offer host housing, call 946-1795.
