The Executive Director of Tulsa Tough Malcolm McCollam told FOX23 that after the mass shooting on Saint Francis’ campus, putting on a three-day cycling festival was not on their top of their minds.
McCollam said Saint Francis is a huge part of Tulsa Tough, and the event wouldn’t exist without their support. He explained he heard the Saint Francis CEO’s message of resilience during the press conference following the shooting that left four people dead.
Then, McCollam said, emails, texts and calls started coming in from people all over the country.
“They say we need Tulsa Tough right now because of its message of unity and togetherness,” he said. “Because cycling really, one person wrote to me and said cycling is the opposite of hate; it’s about joy and love, so what better way to rally around the community than to come together in joy and bicycles.”
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Tulsa Tough is moving forward, but they are shifting their focus this year to Townie Ride. They are asking everyone to wear pink for the ride, so they can “paint Riverside pink.”
The ride starts at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday near Galveston Ave and Riverside Dr. Anyone is welcome to attend for free. All attendees, fans and riders are asked to wear pink. This is welcome to all ages, just make sure to bring a helmet.
The hope is that this can be a visible representation of the love and support for the Saint Francis Community.
For more information about this year’s Tulsa Tough, you can check out their website.