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2A ♦ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2006 X ; - Journal/Ray Lightner Bicyclists stopped at the Days Inn in Perry on the third to last lay of a 26-day, 2,920-mile transcontinental bike ride from San Diego to Tybee Island organized by PAC Tours. PAC Toup stops in Perry on transcontinental bike ride By RAY LIGHTNER Journal Staff Writer Fifty bicyclists rode through Perry Tuesday and Wednesday as part of 26- day ride from San Diego to Tybee Island. The 50 riders, 40 men and 10 women, are from across the country and the world, from New York to Omaha, from Australia to England. On Tuesday they rode 104 miles from Eufaula to Perry. Wednesday they were sched uled to ride 114 miles from Perry to Metter and the final leg of the tour is 86 miles from Metter to Tybee Island. The riders paid $3,295 to participate in the 2,920- mile ride. The cost included hotels, meals, gear trans port, tech support and a 10- member support staff said PAC Tours organizer Lon Ilaldeman. The ride is one of three transcontinental rides a year organized by PAC Tours created about 20 years ago by Haldeman and his wife Susan Notorangelo. “I start ed when I was 25 and I was one of the youngsters in the group,” Haldeman said. “Now 48, I’m still one of the youngsters. The average age of the riders is 50.” There’s a 98 percent suc cess rate, Haldeman said. “It’s not an easy trip. We had one rider who had to drop out. These people had to train about 10,000 miles to be in shape for this. If they hadn’t done 5,000 miles last year, they’re not going to be ready for this year.” Why do the riders do it? Simone Besthall of New York said the ride is “very intense and physically demanding. It ain’t easy.” Besthall said on the ride you find out what a wonder ful world this is. “It’s much more intimate on a bike than in car. You '•®* e '-' Journal/Ray Lightner 77ie final three days of ride took riders from Eufaula to Perry to Metier and ended at Tybee Island. Come See Our Mewty Expanded Showroom! MkUU O MffUl linwi MtUrni of Uffmwf Itxtwm ■ l [SOUTHERN I LIGHTING HOME LIQHTINQ CENTER Est. 1987 Fans, Framed Prints Lamps & Framed Mirrors Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30-5:30 Sat 10-2 pm aa can smell the flowers.” Donna Allen of Omaha, Neb., teaches online health promotion at Nebraska Methodist College. She said she’s doing this for two rea sons. Allen is riding for her friend Fern Carness, who is living with cancer. “I’m rid ing for the American Breast Cancer Foundation. I call it the Pink Pedals Tour, I painted the pedals of my bike pink,” said Allen, who is also wearing pink shoes. Allen is also spreading the world about early can cer detection, as October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. She said the American Breast Cancer Foundation not only provides informa tion on how to detect cancer and offers cancer screenings, but the foundation also pro vides funding to those who cannot afford testing. To get information, Allen said, visit www.abcf.org. The second reason she’s riding - “because I’m a good mom,” said Allen, the moth er of three children, ages 7,9 and 11. “My kids’ school is following me on the ride. I’m sending pictures everyday. It’s a cool way for the stu dents to learn about geog raphy.” Haldeman has organized 75 rides so far, from Canada to Mexico, Pensacola to Maine, Seattle to Savannah. “Each one is different,” he said. “We zigzag all over. The routes are worked out well. I try to go to points of inter est, but sometimes you have to get from point to point. Five percent of the route is good.” He researches the routes duringthe winter. Sometimes what used to be a narrow two-lane road becomes a busy because a new business opens up. Sometimes what was a busy road has no traf fic, because a plant closed 929-0624 -2508 Moody Road 00038805 down. “We’re always tweak ing it,” Allen said. gua ra ntGGcl ||p a!Wjs6;n*is ineMitfsW £NA8 T IED TH Cingular Wireless is the official wireless provider to the Georgia Bulldogs. tor Iwimi utes cad 1-868-697.78 W gabwianawMiom^tißgulwcom taGrangr 1501 Ui.ivotot’kvvy iU(ujr>£f Mall*. 706-685-1074 ttny 1363 Sam Mum* Bkil.. S». D 478-988 3633 Watnrf Sohtm 4025 Vtt&on Blvd. S*. 110 478-933-6000 UmM-Hm alto. Other tuttae «d mMms M S* contract art m» ptaa \mtim to tot*. Satoto met toe * too »■*» «*r «*»C**> toator to«* *toi<cdai dNtißiw)tonMaßtwc<Bsecaliawi»*toßntowitaitoaiii>itowOT Ca|ytoa^ato<>»toaaato»»w«-tototo»M*a|tof»«d^aMgafaaa.aaMa>wi|>a» crtrttftoMW wcm* 0 wSto Saw* otlT Jl«» to Sana* «7 *tm 99 to toto* SU» X. 18-12 ■XtoXtototoc* *to»totoatotoa«Bto>*toto*» tototo aaMto»SswiWto>itoM4a>|llfl»Hhi«iro«ifcßa*«aiW»Mi^.Mto>i«^>M««f«*'W^a^^^^g*»* LOCAL Garza promoted to Sr. VP Corporate Services Special to the Journal Karen Garza has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Corporate Services at Flint Energies. Garza manages the per sonnel and benefit func tions, payroll, safety and job training, wellness program and corporate insurance. She has 29 years of experi ence with Flint Energies, with five years in human resources. A graduate of Northside High School she began her career at Flint Energies in the summer of 1977 as a vocational office training student. She has worked in sev eral capacities during her tenure at the cooperative from administrative to cus $7999 sfe SO iWMn t date deliil rani aiKti -year skysm tgiimmt. SAMSUNG dBO7 BLUETOOTH* ENABLED '■ ULTRA-THIN SLIDER cameraphone /Udhntufd»Hail«ri UGiangt Duect Commum atom 380SOav«lW..Ste.f 706-884-4474 tomer service functions. In 1986, she assumed the role of Public Relations m GARZA succession she was transferred to Corporate Services in 2001 to handle employee rela tions matters, recruitment, orientation, compensation and benefits, job training and safety. Garza is a certified proses- .... $14999 attertSO nwS-Jn reiit# iJeart art Wfll H£’>3 " gatasi [KW* MOTOSLVR • ?■ atTRA-SLEHK CAMERAPHONE W.'TH !TUNES" Wanm atom Arid (fryng liOOWatonßMf. 478-328-1794 IHepap Communx atom 2078 Ktftsril fVwv 478.922-6272 Specialist fulfilling internal and exter nal commu nications and youth programs/ acti v i - ties for the coop erative . Through planning, FAMILYTALK FROM CINGULAR Get up to 3 udditioii.fi lines end share your ; minutes with the whole family. . 0» ' 1 ■■ Adciitn'wwl < hafaos.-"•ppiy.. s*•*-. bei-ow' \ Wal-Mart VW bb« 2720 Watson Bh<l 478-971-7090 /feofeaUbfe* (£)•■*•*■* HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL sional in Human Resources and a Certified Cooperative Communicator. She is a member of the Middle Georgia Chapter and National Society of Human Resources Management, Georgia Electric Cooperative Personnel and Administrative Association and past board mem ber of Better Business Bureau of Central Georgia. Garza is Board Member and Secretary of Flint Federal Credit Union, Trustee of Georgia EMC Workers’ Compensation Board and Chairperson of Flint Energies’ Employee Emergency Fund. She and her husband, Bobby, reside in Byron. They have a son, Bobby Jr. and a daughter, Hannah. ■**»»** i -. 6.