Concord Native Saddles Up Bike for West Coast Trip

Remember that kid who used to toss the newspaper from his bike in Concord back in the 1970s?

Now he’s riding his bike 1,700 miles from Canada to Mexico.

That would be Terry Toland, who graduated from Clayton Valley High in 1979. Back then, he and his friends used to bike up Mount Diablo and back — “not an easy accomplishment on those early 10-speeds that seemed as heavy as a tank.”

Toland lives in southwestern Washington state now and plans to ride from border to border this summer with his friend Kevin Putnam and some biking in solidarity and pit-crew assistance from his daughters, Sarah and Shannon, and wife, Diane.

He is riding in memory of his mother, Jean Toland, a Concord advocate for the homeless who died last summer. He is raising money for Share, a nonprofit organization that assists homeless individuals and families.

Here’s the email we received from Terry Toland:

Former Concord Resident plans bike ride to benefit SW Washington

Former Concord resident Terry Toland, and his family, together with friend Kevin Putnam from Camas, Wash., will be embarking on a challenging 1,700 mile cycling journey from Canada to Mexico this summer. The bicycle adventure is a benefit to raise $25,000 for Share, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting hungry and homeless individuals and families. “Share uses their resources to provide vital services to our community,” says Terry, who now works as energy resources manager with Clark Public Utilities in Vancouver, Wash. Terry grew up in Concord and graduated from Clayton Valley High School in 1979. He and his friends did many cycling rides to the top of Mount Diablo, not an easy accomplishment on those early 10-speeds that seemed as heavy as a tank. He attributes much of his passion for cycling to those adventures. Terry also was a paper carrier for seven years, delivering the Contra Costa Times to 90 of his neighbors each morning from his bike.

Terry is riding border to border to raise awareness for the enormous needs of the people of S.W. Washington He’s also riding in memory of his mother, Jean Toland, who was a tireless advocate for the homeless, and passed away last summer.

Terry is reaching out to everyone in the community and beyond to pledge dollars (or pennies) per mile to help Share. All tax-deductible donations go directly to Share of S.W. Washington. The pledges will benefit people of all ages who are in need. In addition to feeding the homeless, Share provides kids from local schools with meals for the weekend through the backpack program, transportation for seniors to medical appointments and shelter for homeless families.

Visit the website for the ride at www.TolandsBorderToBorderBenefit.org.

Help the Border to Border Team make a difference for those in need. There are cycling jerseys, T-shirts and buttons available on the website as well.

Regards,

Terry Toland