Saturday started out foggy and a bit cool, but that was OK.That just meant better riding weather for the Fourth Annual Raven Ride bicycle ride, which started and ended in the Target parking lot.

            The annual ride is sponsored by the Huntsville Lion's Club and beneifts the Walker County Boys and Girls Club. There also is support from a host of additional sponsors. This year's ride had 260 riders, with over 150 volunteers manning rest stops and providing other support for the riders. 

            The riders were greeted with donuts provided by Shipley's Donuts and muffins provided by Golden Corral, along with breakfast tacos and drinks. Huntsville Idol 2009 winner Stephen Lee sang the National Anthem and Todd Christian, Senior Patrol Leader for BSA Troop 114, led the prayer session at the beginning of the ride, which was started with the firing of a cannon. Boy Scouts from Troop 114 presented the colors, which consist of the US Flag and the Texas flag. 

            Although the ride began at 8 a.m., the volunteers began showing up at the Target parking lot between 4 and 5 a.m. The brisket served to the riders was prepared even earlier; John Finney of the Huntsville Lion's Club pre-cooked it on Thursday.

            Signs were placed along the routes showing the riders where to turn for the five ride options: 10 mile ride out to the Huntsville State Park (with a return trip by SAG wagon, a bus taking riders and bikes back to the starting line); a 20-mile route to the state park and back; a 33-mile route partly along Possum Walk Road; and a 51-mile San Jacinto River Bottom Trail and 61-mile Koon Trail route through the Sam Houston National Forest past Lake Stubblefield. Some riders reported that missing signs caused a bit of confusion, but all riders returned safe and sound, if a bit weary in some cases. The last rider came in about 2 p.m..

            Several rest stops were provided along the course for all riders, providing a chance to rest and grab a bit to eat. These stops are manned by seven non-profit groups, each of which will receive $250 for their organizations. Other groups helping out on the ride included the Sam Houston Lion's Club, the New Waverly Lion's Club, Troop 114 of the Boy Scouts of America, Walker County Amateur Radio Group, the Walker County Volunteer Sheriff's Office, the Huntsville Police Department, the Huntsville Fire Department, and Target.

            Four vehicles were provided by Liles' Lawn Service for SAG support; two more vehicles provided by Lion's Club members and Tommy Stewart with Edward Jones. After completing their ride and returning to Target, riders were served BBQ brisket by David Hamilton, along with beans and potato salad plus all the water, tea, and all the Gatorade the riders needed.

            "There were people of all shapes and sizes out there and, no matter how they feel about themselves, I'm proud of them for getting out there and doing it," said John Finney. Conrad Liles provided the trailer with the BBQ pits, the tent for the riders, and compensation to his employees to help out on the ride.

            This marks the first year that the ride is a BP MS150 Recommended Ride, a series of rides that help people prepare for the three BP MS150 charity rides held in Texas. The additional exposure probably helped bring people from other cities to Huntsville, as there are some hills out on the ride.

            "Many of the riders stated it's a very pretty ride (through the Sam Houston National Forest), and it provides some hills that you don't get down in Houston," said Finney. Ride participants came from all over, including Dallas, Houston, and Lufkin. The youngest rider was seven years old and he completed the 20-mile ride, while the oldest rider was 79 and he completed the 61-mile route. 

            This year marked the time the Huntsville Lion's Club organized the ride. Previously, the ride served as a fund-raiser for the Huntsville Lakers Swim Team and was organized by John Amick. However, the ride has grown in terms of participants, and the number of volunteers helping with the ride didn't keep pace with that growth. The Lakers asked the Lion's Club to take over the ride in early July, and planning and preparation lasted about 4 weeks. John Amick stayed involved and helped the Lion's Club in bringing about the ride. 

            "We like to give back to the community as much as we can, which is why we're providing checks of $250 to the organizations that helped with manning our rest stops. These organizations were the SHSU Lions Club, Huntsville Kiwanis Club, Boy Scout Troop 114, Huntsville Lakers Swim Team, the Huntsville High School Swim Team, Glory Praise Worship Group, and the Walker County Historical Society," Finney said.

            Finney said left-over bottled water was donated to the Walker County Sheriff's Office, the Huntsville Police Department, Huntsville High School Marching Band, and the Walker County Historical Society. The remaining brisket and snack items from the rest stops were donated to the Good Shepherd Mission.

            "Sheriff Clint McRae and Sgt. Ron Cleere of the HPD helped tremendously with the ride. Sgt. Cleere handled everything inside the city, while Sheriff McRae ensured we had good support out on the routes. He wrote letters to secure our permits, as well as to the Grimes County and Montgomery County Sheriff's offices, informing them we'd be coming through and he'd be providing support while in their counties. His help was invaluable in ensuring the safety of our riders," said Finney. The local Community Emergency Response Team provided first aid and communications support, along with the Walker County Amateur Radio Group, and they treated it as training.