OurStories Alaska Pilots move mountains for Charity

by John Perkinson, Staff Writer

apt. Dan Hoffman (Alaska) and F/O Craig Davidson (Alaska) are busy preparing for the 21st annual Alaska Airlines Courage Classica threeday, 173-mile bike ride through Washington States Cascade Mountains. This years event takes place August 46. Ive got the days off, so, short of something catastrophic happening, Ill be on the ride, said Hoffman, chairman of the Alaska Airlines Pilots Charitable Fund, who has pedaled this path on three previous occasions. Saddling up for the 11th time, Davidson said, This will be my third year of riding on a tandem instead of a regular bike, which requires a little extra training. Ill be riding with my son, Alex. Hoffman and Davidson are among the hundreds of bikers who each year participate in the fund-raiser. Entry fees and collected pledges support the Rotary Endowment for the Intervention and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and the Child Abuse Intervention Department at the Mary Bridge Childrens Hospital in Tacoma, Wash. (Davidson is a member of the Board of Directors of the Mary Bridge Childrens Foundation.) These organizations ensure that children in the community and their families get the assistance they need in cases of sexual or physical abuse.

Airlines Vice President Brad Tilden (now president and CEO) because he knew Tilden was an avid cyclist. Davidson asked him if there was a way to get the company involved. The following summer, Alaska Airlines became a patron of the event and has been the title sponsor for the last three years. This is the high point of the summer for me, said Hoffman, who previously flew for TWA and American Eagle. The B-737 captain noted that, each year, Davidson organizes a team of Alaska employees that ranges from 50 to 75 participants, and thats how he became involved.

The course
You ride through three major passes in the Cascades, just east of Seattle, said Hoffman. The distances arent ridiculously long, but theres a lot of mountain climbing, so you want to be in reasonable shape to complete the event without too much suffering. The Cascades provide an incredible

backdrop for the annual ride. However, with the Pacific Oceans proximity and the prevailing westerly winds, precipitation can be hefty. Annual accumulations can reach 1,000 inches along the western slopes. Fortunately, the weather along the selected route is generally favorable in August. The trek begins at Snoqualmie Ridge, taking the riders through North Bend to their first rest stop at Olallie State Park. They then climb Snoqualmie Pass (elevation 3,022 feet) and finish day one in Cle Elum. The second day begins with a ride along the Teanaway River, a tributary of the Yakima. Cyclists pedal past wheat fields and farmhouses before reaching the top of Blewett Pass (elevation 4,102 feet). They then descend to Ingalls Creek, coast past apple orchards, and brake at Leavenworth, an entire town modeled after a Bavarian village. About every 15 or 20 miles, local Rotary Clubs support aid stations that offer food, energy-replacement drinks,

getting started
Davidson, a member of the pilots Membership Committee and a former Atlantic Coast pilot, remembers, An old college roommate and I used to race bicycles, and he learned about this event first. He e-mailed me to ask for a donation and, over the years, I sent him several contributions. When I got hired at Alaska Airlines in 2001, I moved back to Seattle and decided that instead of donating, Id rather ride. The B-737 first officer added that in 2006, he approached then-Alaska
32 Air Line Pilot August 2012

This year will be the third time F/O Craig Davidson has ridden his tandem bicycle with his son, Alex, on the Alaska Airlines Courage Classic-a three-day, 173-mile bike ride through Washingtons Cascade Mountains.

The Alaska Airlines Pilots Charitable Fund last year presented the Mary Bridge Childrens Foundation with a check for $10,000. From the left are Davidson, Cathy Brewis from Mary Bridge, and Hoffman. with another rider while cruising along at about 30 mph. He ended up in a ditch, fortunately with only a few cuts and bruises to show for the collision. The third day of the ride in 2009 is, by far, his fondest memory. I was riding up the last pass and got a phone call from my wife who told me that my sons chemo was going to be done a year earlier than we thought. Alex, a cancer survivor, is treated at Mary Bridge. The ride itself doesnt support anything cancer-related, Davidson noted. It supports the Child Abuse Intervention Department at Mary Bridge; but in December 2007, my son was diagnosed with cancer, and he is still being treated there. The good news is that Alex, now 11, is in great shape. Hes been in full remission for the last four years and is biking in tandem with his dad for this years event.

Community Service
The Alaska Airlines Pilots Charitable Fund (AAPCF), through grant distributions, is dedicated to helping qualified nonprofit organizations serve the needs of youth within the communities of the Alaska Airlines route network and where its pilots live. The AAPCF is run by Alaska pilots as an all-volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. With an annual overhead of less than 1 percent, the fund has been able to maximize the available dollars generously donated. To learn more, visit www.aapcf.org. Peaks and valleys undoubtedly lie ahead for Davidson, Hoffman, and the other participating Alaska pilots as they attempt to complete this years event. But with determination and the full backing of the many volunteers of the Alaska Airlines Courage Classic, these pilots will continue to move mountains.

and water, said Hoffman. Mechanics from Old Town Bicycle help with any mechanical problems along the way, and sag wagonssupport vehicles for cyclistsand first aid stations are all along the course. In addition, UPS donates trucks that carry all of the bikers overnight gear to their daily destinations. Hoffman noted, Your duffle bag is there waiting for you at the end of the day. Some spend their nights in local hotel rooms while others pitch tents in local campgrounds. On the final day of the Courage Classic, participants bike through beautiful Chumstick Canyon, along Nason Creek, and then ascend to Stevens Pass (elevation 4,061 feet), where they break for lunch. Then its on to the Old Cascade Highway and, finally, to the town of Skykomish, named for a native American tribe that once live there.

Crossing the finish line

Last year, the Alaska Airlines Pilots Charitable Fund presented a check for $10,000 to the hospital over and above what individual bikers raised. The fund intends to do the same thing this year. Its a way for the Alaska pilots to give back to the communities where they live and serve, said Hoffman, who indicated that the fund intends to continue supporting this important organization.

Pedal for the Kids!

To learn more about the annual Alaska Airlines Courage Classic and the charities it supports, visit www.multicare.org/home/ courage-classic.

Highs and lows

With 10 rides under his belt, Davidson has had some colorful experiences. In 2008, on the third day, he got tangled up

Team Alaska Airlines from 2010, which included pilots, flight attendants, gate agents, mechanics, management, and operations staff, and even the president of the airline.
August 2012 Air Line Pilot 33