Published: March 31, 2007 10:49 pm            

Raisin's ride delivers 'message of hope'

In a stunning 10-minute span Saturday at Heritage Point, the Credit Agricole jersey Saul Raisin wore earlier in the Raisin Hope Charity Ride to Fort Mountain and back was auctioned not once, but twice.

Rocky Ponders, a former Daltonian now living in Cartersville, paid $1,000 for the jersey.

“Anything for that kid (Raisin) is money well spent,” said Ponders, who was asked about his plans for the jersey.

“I’m going to auction it right back,” said Ponders, who co-owns Columbia Recycling in Dalton. “I’ve got a jersey signed by Saul and his teammates. Saul’s dad (Jim) is my best friend and I’ve known the family for years. I’ve known Saul ever since he was a little boy.”

Then, Fritz McPhail of Atlanta paid another $750 for the green-and-white jersey, had Raisin to autograph it and proudly took it home.

McPhail works for Blueridge Capital, a real estate investment firm in Atlanta that also sponsors a professional cycling team by the same name, and drove to Dalton with Don Leslie, who operates the Shepherd Spinal Center where Raisin did his rehabilitation following his disastrous cycling crash in France last April.

Saul Raisin, perhaps the most photgraphed person in the state Saturday, had hugs for both men after they put $1,750 into the Raisin Hope Fund.

“Our first Raisin Hope Ride is going to raise between twenty-five and thirty thousand dollars,” said Jim Raisin, Saul’s father.

Proceeds from Saturday’s event, highlighted by rides of 50, 35 and 15 miles, go to four charities of Saul Raisin’s choosing — the Shepherd Spinal Center, Camp Twin Lakes, the Brain Injury Association of Georgia and the USA Cycling Development Foundation.

Amy Smith of Events 360, which produced the Raisin Hope Ride, said a total of 512 riders took part in Saturday’s event.

“Of that number, 395 registered online and 127 signed up (Saturday) morning,” Smith said. “This is awesome for a first-time event.”

The 24-year-old Raisin, who leaves Tuesday for France and 10 days of training with his Credit Agricole team, was ecstatic.

“This has been my vision for a year,” Raisin said. “My message of hope is getting out. We’re putting smiles back on the faces of seriously ill or seriously injured people who had lost them. This is a celebration of life.”

Raisin then toasted the crowd.

The event’s announcer, Dave Towle, who handles the same duties for the Tour de Georgia, called Saturday “a special day” for the Raisin family — Jim, Yvonne and Saul.

The young cyclist agreed.

“I tell you,” he said, “this has been a tough year for my family and that’s an understatement, but we’re unbreakable. We stick together as a family.”

Under a tent adjacent to the pavilion, author Dave Shields was pushing the book he’s writing on Saul Raisin, entitled Tour de Life and due out in September.

Raisin spoke briefly about the book, telling the audience he read the first draft while recently flying to France.

“The first part of the book is about my experience over the past year through my parents’ eyes,” he said. “After I had my crash I was out of it and didn’t know what was going on. But they were coming to the hospital not knowing if I would be alive or not, and that hit hard. It’s been tough working on the book, but it’s coming together. It’s a great story and I hope it inspires people.”

Towle asked Raisin if he could predict when he would return to competitive racing.

“Don’t count me out of the U.S. Championships (Aug. 31-Sept. 2, Greenville, S.C.),” Raisin responded. “We’ll see.

In the crowd was a smiling Aleeza Zabriskie, the sister of pro cyclist Dave Zabriskie of Salt Lake City. Aleeza and Saul have been dating since their chance meeting at the Los Angeles International Airport in February, following the Tour de California.

Aleeza Zabriskie, 23, a health research data analyst, plans to defer law school and “do some traveling” with Raisin.

“We’re going to France next week, then coming back for the Tour de Georgia,” she said. “And then he’s going back to Salt Lake City with me.”

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.