For those of you who were on the A18/19 Ride to Pie yesterday, here's an update on the conditions of the two riders who were injured.

Tom Denham has a broken clavicle and won't be riding for at least several weeks. Although he was up and around after the accident, his helmet sustained a large crack, so it was decided (considering the crack) that he needed to go to an emergency room. HOWEVER, as we were waiting for the ambulance, it became clear that his head wasn't the only issue. In fact, his head is fine (thanks to his helmet); his shoulder is not.

Catherine Townsend is currently in ICU at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, NY. She was basically catapulted from her bike and did a full body slam into a tree, which left her with a broken left shoulder (in two places), a slightly deflated lung, possibly a few broken ribs and worst of all, 5 fractured vertebrae. She will undergo surgery on Monday or Tuesday to have rods attached to the vertebrae to stablilize them so they don't shift into her spinal column. After the accident and at the current time (according to Chris), she has full movement and feeling in everything. She has a very long recovery period ahead of her, but in the end, they are hoping for a full recovery.

On behalf of Anthony Poole and myself, I would like to thank the NYCC for both the SIG training and the Leaders' Manual; otherwise, I'm not sure how well we would've handled things after this accident. Fortunately, we had the tools needed to ensure that all of our friends remained safe following the incident and that the injured were well taken care of, and for that, we are grateful.

If you have questions or are looking for more detail, I'd prefer you contact me directly. If I find out where we can send flowers, cards, etc. I'll certainly let everyone who's interested know.

Take care and please, RIDE SAFELY.