Town changes course for annual Cotton Patch event

By David Mullen

The 2020 Dallas Marathon was cancelled. The 2020 Tour de France was delayed. The Boston Marathon was cancelled and the 2021 race has already been postponed until next fall. Horse Racing’s Triple Crown was shuffled. The traditional April start of the Masters was moved to November without patrons. Professional and collegiate sports modified schedules and are being played before limited or no fans. It seems impossible to plan an outdoor sporting event amidst the current worldwide COVID-19 crisis.

The 24th annual Cotton Patch Challenge (CPC) bike ride, in nearby Greenville, went off in September as is tradition. How was that possible?

In March, due to COVID-19, “we had a total shutdown and we recognized that it would affect the bike ride also,” said CPC organizer Don McBride. “We tried to do the preliminary work, while we put it on hold. Obviously, you have to buy stuff and get people lined up. I just said, ‘wait and see.’ That’s all we could do.” As the ride approached, there was the question of whether the ride could be held at all.

McBride, who moved to Greenville from Ohio in 1980, has been involved in the ride since its inception, but had to step forward in 2015 to take on a leadership role. “I just enjoy doing it. We benefit the community. We attract people to town. And the [Greenville] Rotary passes out proceeds to local charities.

“We moved here from Ohio during the ‘Aw, shucks’ summer,” McBride said. “We had 44 days over 100 [degrees]. Being a Yankee, I said ‘What have I gotten into?’ But we really enjoy it here. The thing we enjoy the most is calling our friends back in Ohio on New Year’s Eve and telling them that ‘We are playing golf. What are you doing?’”

“We are a single counter chapter serving Hunt County,” said Lori Cope, executive director for the Hunt County chapter of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). “They [Greenville Rotary] have contributed more than $6,500 to CASA for Hunt County by raising money from the tour. It is really important what we get from the Rotary because [of COVID-19] we have had to cancel our major fundraisers and many of our donors are not where they used to be. But [at CASA], it’s remains all about the children.”   

An annual charity event on behalf of the Greenville Rotary Club, the CPC is designed for all levels of riders, allowing experienced and new cyclists to coexist in a friendly environment. Not a competitive race but a “tour,” there are seven courses for different levels of riders, ranging from six miles to a 74-mile ride. The longest rides go through eight different police precincts, which provide optimum traffic control. The ride attracts nearly 700 riders and more than 100 volunteers are required to execute the day’s event.

One of the highlights is to pedal on the Two-Mile Bridge across Lake Tawakoni. Trucks, marshals and ham radio operators monitor the course and each route is well marked. There are eight rest stops to ensure comfort. But before this year’s event could commence, a clearance from Greenville Mayor David Dreiling had to be obtained.

In late July, a meeting between the mayor and CPC reps was held. The mayor, acting under guidelines put out by the Texas Governor Greg Abbott, was given the authority to approve the ride. A provision included “any outdoor gathering in excess of 100 people is prohibited unless the mayor of the city in which the gathering is held approves the gathering.” As the CPC committee remained in contact with riders through social media, approval finally came on August 27.

  This year, protocol was established for the ride, including the wearing of face masks from the pre-ride start, social distancing starts with packs of 100 riders lined up in six rows and limiting the ride to 400 cyclists. 

Despite the immense challenges, the 2020 CPC went off without a hitch. No riders needed assistance on the course.

 Avid cyclist Jerry Grady, who has logged hundreds of miles at events in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Iowa and participated in the Hotter’N Hell 100 in Wichita Falls, was impressed. “The Rotary club did a great job in meeting all the COVID rules,” Grady said. “The road signs, markings, rest stops and SAG were well done. I have worked the ride for more than 20 years and rode it the last four years.”

One hundred percent of the net proceeds from the ride go to more than 25 nonprofit organizations in the Greenville area, such as Boys and Girls Club, youth scholarships, Hunt County Children’s Advocacy Center and others including CASA. The distribution of the funds by the Greenville Rotary Club supports their motto of “Service Above Self.”

Because of the pandemic, bike riding has become a new escape. People are taking to White Rock Lake and the Katy Trail and looking for Texas rides to enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise in a “shelter-in-place” world. Based on his experience in working with local bicycle retailers, McBride said, “You can’t find a bike right now.” 

As part of the learning gained in 2020, McBride expects next year that some of the protocols will remain. “The staggered start — and everybody loved it — because it’s a whole lot safer [will remain],” McBride added. “Everybody isn’t on top of one another. And the rest stops, where we provide liquids and nourishment, was modified to make sure that we didn’t handle anything. Everything was prewrapped. That worked out pretty good, too.”  Next year’s CPC is scheduled for Sept. 18, and updates can be found at cottonpatchchallenge.com.

In a year where outdoor events are being cancelled, the people of Greenville banded together to make sure that a Texas tradition lived on in 2020, charities benefitted and, despite the unknown future of social gatherings, kept the wheels in motion for the 25th annual Cotton Patch Challenge in 2021.  

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