Saturday November 3, 2012: I would like to share with you and write a small segment about our incredible Century Bike Ride journey featuring the dedication and an outstanding accomplishment of three very special Sikh friends who went on this amazing journey to commemorate this year's 100th Stockton's Gurudwara birthday & Yuba City's Sikh parade celebration.
On Saturday November 3, 2012, in order to commemorate the first Sikh Century in the US, a group of 3 bike rider organizers and a team supporter (Jaskaran Singh, Bhavreet Singh, Parvin Singh, and Winnie Nakamura) decided to form this bike ride to celebrate the rich Sikh History in Stockton over the last 100 years of the Pacific Coast Khalsa Diwan and Stockton Gurdwara - the oldest in the US (http://gadar.homestead.com/files/stockton.jpg). This took place from Stockton Gurudwara to Yuba City Gurudwara from the original support structure for a nation of immigrants to the largest gathering of Sikhs in the US at the annual Nagar Kirtan celebrations. It so happens that the route is 100 miles, known as a century in cycling to celebrate a century. Our riders had to complete 100 kilometers to make it to Yuba City.
These three participants had endured the toughest bike ride of their lives. It was an incredible journey and they conquered all the physical, mental, and spiritual challenges along the way. I was their team supporter & provided them aid throughout this trip. A lifetime memory has engraved and cherished in all four of us & history was made. We were so glad to be there! A total of 120 miles in 14 hours (6am - 8.30pm) bike ride from Stockton Gurudwara to Yuba City Gurudwara. We finally accomplished and achieved the goal and more!!
A reason why I am writing this article is because I felt a tremendous honor, privilege, and pride to participate in the century bike ride adventure and celebrated this special milestone event. Jaskaran, Parvin, and Bhavreet are my inspiration!! I had loads of fun & truely enjoyed every bit of it.
Life lesson learned throughout this journey; one can conquer life's toughest moments with the right people by your side who provide you the support & encouragement through good and bad times and to never give up! What an amazing experience. One of the three bike organizers expressed that "along the way we created such a wonderful camaraderie among us and we proved that mental toughness, focus is much important than the physical preparedness."
One consistent theme of the leaders in our community over the last 100 years was that of higher education so our group also rode to help Sikh Reach raise money for its scholarship program for Sikh students.
There are various ways in which one can get involved to donate money towards scholarships and for a limited time, any donation over $20 will receive a t-shirt commemorating the 100 mile ride.
For more information, please visit:
http://sikhreach.org/Donate.html
email: [email protected]
twitter: @sikhcenturyride
Some notable facts about the Stockton Gurdwara:
1. It was home to the Ghadhr party and movement that began decades before independence from the British was achieved.
2. It supported the printing of the first Punjabi language newspaper in the US
3. Bhagat Singh Thind was a member and lived in a house maintained by Stockton Gurdwara while studying at UC Berkeley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagat_Singh_Thind
http://www.pbs.org/rootsinthesand/i_bhagat1.html
4. Dalip Singh Saund was a secretary on the committee - the first South Asian and only Sikh to ever have served in Congress
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalip_Singh_Saund
http://www.pbs.org/rootsinthesand/i_dalip1.html
These individuals made a lasting contribution to the Sikh community and American society in general. While we reflect on how far we have come, where we have fallen short, and where we would like to go in the next 100 years, let their example be a source of inspiration.
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Above is the picture when the 3 of bike rider organizers arrived in front of Yuba City Gurdwara after completed |