A Message from Dwight Riskey: Biking for a Good Cause

Earlier this year, Dave Philips, our chief blogger, wrote about and interviewed, via a podcast recording, Dwight Riskey, former Chief Marketing Officer at Frito-Lay.  Now retired, Dwight (pictured at left) often bikes with Dave, and they both are committed to supporting various causes through bike races.  Last weekend, Dwight rode in the Make-a-Wish Foundation’s ride in North Texas, along with the Frito-Lay Cheesy Riders bike team.  Today, Dwight joins Snack Chat to share his experience at last weekend’s ride. 

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to ride my bike in support of a worthy cause -- The Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas, an organization that grants meaningful wishes to seriously ill children.  Frito-Lay was the title sponsor of last weekend’s fundraising bike rally, and in fact, Frito-Lay Headquarters in Plano, Texas, hosted the start and finish lines right from its parking lot.

I arrived at the Frito-Lay parking lot early, with a cup of hot coffee in hand, just as the staging area for the start began to fill with bikes and colorful jerseys.  It was a beautiful, 55-degree morning, and a light wind was blowing -- a perfect day for a ride. Despite the ideal weather, I felt a little down because my three closest riding buddies were missing the ride.  My friend Dave Philips, Snack Chat chief blogger, was out of town; my son Keith was home sick with the flu; and Vince, his best friend who usually rides with us, was home taking care of a newborn daughter. (Below is a picture of Dave and me taken while on one of our rides.)

My melancholy quickly dissolved, however, as the staging area at the start line began to come alive.  In typical form, Frito-Lay’s support for the event was evident everywhere, but especially so in the enthusiastic employees who volunteered at the race.  They were everywhere -- directing vehicle and bike traffic, giving people directions to restrooms and concessions and gently herding people toward the starting gate.  I’ve always been impressed by the company’s and its employees’ ability to execute plans impeccably.  The Make-a-Wish Ride was yet another impressive example of this fact, and this time, the work supported Frito-Lay employees, their families and the community.
 
If you’ve never seen a bike rally, it’s quite a vision.  Riders’ jerseys bring to life every imaginable color combination and theme.  “Chain Gang,” “Feisty Devils,” “Gear Heads,” and “Sprocket Rockets,” are just a few of the teams I saw at the race.  Yet the 50 orange, white and black jerseys worn by Frito-Lay’s own Cheesy Riders biking team were among the most colorful.  Seven years ago, while I was still working at Frito-Lay, I helped start the Cheesy Riders bike team.  Since the team formed, we’ve raised more than $500,000 by biking for charitable causes. (Below are some of the Cheesy Riders at the start line on Saturday.)    

For the Make-a-Wish race, I opted to ride the 30-mile course -- a reasonable target considering Dave and I usually ride about 25 miles.  As I looked around at the start line, I saw that nearly 1,000 riders were lining up to ride and another 250 volunteers were cooperating to ensure the ride went smoothly.  The feeling of awe that came over me contrasted with my usual style, since I typically view life as a competition. 

Of course, we are all familiar with the competition of athletics, but this seems to be only a metaphor for the widespread competition of our daily lives.  We compete for jobs, raises and promotions.  Our companies compete for market share.   Almost every corner of our lives seems influenced by the tendency to compete.  And there, at the Make-a-Wish ride, was a large group of altruistic individuals, sponsored by an altruistic company, with the same shared intent -- to help kids.  It was a beautiful phenomenon to see and a beautiful experience to share.  If only I could have ridden all 30 miles without anyone passing me!

Comments

[Jennifer Johnson]

Yes, it was an amazing ride. And as the 2009 Cheesy Rider Team captain I was honored to coordinate over 70 riders in this event that raised enough money to grant one childs wish. I am so thankful to work for a company who not only supports my values but shares them wholeheartily.