Matt Peterson and Kristy Gough Memorial Dedication

The City of Cupertino has graciously sponsored a permanent memorial in honor of Kristy and Matt at the site of the crash. There will be a brief dedication ceremony as well as a memorial ride on Saturday, October 18th. Please spread the word.

From the City of Cupertino:

Memorials to be Dedicated for Bicyclists

On Sunday, March 9, 2008, two bicyclists were tragically killed in the foothills of Cupertino. Weather permitting, on Saturday, October 18, permanent memorials will be dedicated to Kristy Gough and Matt Peterson. Please join us for this brief ceremony as we honor the memory of our friends and family who have passed.

The morning's events will begin at 8 AM with a gathering at Cupertino Civic Center, 10350 Torre Avenue in Cupertino. Guests will cycle up McClellan Road to Stevens Canyon Road, near the site of the accident. Those driving by car should go directly to the memorial site, as the road will be closed to automobile traffic once the bicyclists get under way. Shortly after 9 am there will be some brief comments and an unveiling of the plaques. In words provided by their families, there is one tablet for each rider:

In Loving Memory of
Kristy Gough
November 19, 1977 - March 9, 2008
FREE FROM LIMITATIONS & IMAGINARY LINES

Our hearts forever inspired by
Matthew Wayne Peterson
June 4, 1978 - March 9, 2008
RETHINK WHAT IS POSSIBLE

Please check the city web site for more detailed information as the event gets closer.

Memorial Ride Recap and Quick Note about Donations

Thank you all for coming to both Matt's memorial and Matt & Kristy's memorial ride. While it was a solemn occassion, we reveled in our numbers (1,000+ they said) and took comfort in the support we provided each other in the form of hugs, smiles and simply just being there.

Thank you also to our gracious co-ride organizers, Third Pillar, as well as Alto Velo and the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office for their hand-in-hand support.

Below are a few select pictures from the ride for those of you who were unable to make it. You can view more at the following sites:

* SWoo here
* Francois here
* Randy Rhody here (note: slow to load)

A special thanks to Joe Rodriguez of the San Jose Mercury News who not only covered the event, but also joined us on his bike to participate in the ride. A wonderful video was posted on the SJMN site covering the event as well a full-length feature story. The SF Chronicle also covered the event.

Additionally, with the green light from Matt's family, we are also currently working on plans for distribution of all the donations made in Matt's name to this blog. Please continue to make donations if you would like to, and check back for updates.

Lastly, please take a few minutes of your day, if you haven't see this already...
http://www.dothetest.co.uk/

Again, thank you for everything.
Team Roaring Mouse Cycles

Kristy Gough and Matt Peterson Memorial Ride Pictures

March 15, 2008

Additional Update on Matt Peterson & Kristy Gough Memorial Ride

1. We have the full support of the sheriff’s department for the memorial ride. They will be escorting us down to the site and closing down Steven's Canyon road for us while we are there so we'll have plenty of room to pay our respects. Additionally, in light of the situation, they have encouraged as many members of their team to come out to the start site (Foothill College) to mingle with us. Both Roaring Mouse and Third Pillar welcome their support and offer of services. If you feel comfortable, please feel free to approach them.

2. Alto Velo/Webcor has offered to provide safety support for the memorial ride. They have orange vest and paddles and will post themselves at the busy intersections.

3. Yes, this will be rain or shine (there have been some questions about this).

4. Parking at Foothill College: We have secured free parking in Lot 1 (the one closest to the football field) from 2pm – 6pm. If cars are parked in other lots, or in Lot 1 for times outside of 2-6pm, they must purchase a $2 parking pass from machines throughout the parking lots (bogus, but what was possible on such short notice).

5. ***MOST IMPORTANTLY*** :-)
It is going to be very important for the image of cycling that during the ride we ride in an orderly fashion and keep the group as tight as possible. Unfortunately, a lot of talk among non-cyclists has been comment that "cyclists are crazy" and that we "run red lights" and this "was bound to happen". We may get a lot of press coverage around this ride and having us appear mature, orderly and professional will help dispel some of those stereotypes. On that note, we should ALL encourage each other and others during the ride to be orderly.

It's going to be a GREAT ride and one that would make Matt and Kristy proud.

Memorial Ride: This Saturday, March 15th

Team Roaring Mouse Cycles and Third Pillar Racing Team are holding a joint memorial ride this Saturday March 15th, to honor the lives of Kristy Gough and Matt Peterson, our two teammates killed on Steven's Creek Canyon last Sunday while on a training ride. We welcome friends, family, fellow cyclists and all those whose lives have been touched by Matt and Kristy. Our ride will include a visit to the site of the crash site for those to share their memories.

When: Saturday, March 15th

Where: Leaving from Foothill College
12345 El Monte Road,
Los Altos Hills, CA 94022

Google map to location: http://tinyurl.com/2b6qvb

**We kindly request you do NOT drive out to the crash site during this time, as we need to keep cars to a minimum in the area, given the road conditions.

Time: Meet at 2:30pm, ride by 3pm

Length: 30-45 minutes to the crash site. Base pace (ie, mellow). No drop.

Route:
Start @ Foothill College (Parking Lot #1, near the football stadium; see link above for map)

- Left on El Monte
- Right on Foothill Expressway
- Continue on Steven's Creek Canyon
- Return

Route directions via Google: http://tinyurl.com/2pc8pf

**Press are welcome to attend, however we request respect during our ride. It would mean the most to us if press were to accompany us on their bikes, as we are all cyclists this week.

http://rememberingmatt.blogspot.com
http://thirdpillarracing.com

Memorial service - Thursday 7:00 pm

A memorial service for Matt Peterson will be held at 7:00pm on Thursday, March 13 at Sports Basement, 1590 Bryant Street in San Francisco. Valet bike parking will be provided by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

Everyone is welcome to attend - please pass the word along!

Memorial service

A memorial service for Matt Peterson will be held on the evening of Thursday, March 13 in the Bay Area. The time and location are still TBD, so please stay tuned for more details. The memorial service will be open to all, and Matt's family encourages everyone to attend.

The Roaring Mouse and Third Pillar racing teams are working together to schedule a memorial bike ride for this weekend - details soon.

Matt's funeral will be held on Monday, March 17 in Willcox, AZ.

If you haven't already done so, please feel free to leave a comment in memory of Matt.

Donations in Matt's memory

Thank you to all who have passed on words of love & kindness for Matt, his family, his teammates and friends. Many of you have asked about making a donation in Matt's memory. The Roaring Mouse Cycles bicycle shop is now collecting donations via PayPal. You can contribute today clicking the "Donate" button below. Your contribution will support bicycling-related causes.

Even if you are unable to make a donation, your words of support mean the world to Matt's family and friends. Please keep them coming.