Lockport Welcomes RI Fellowship of Cycling, US/Canada Vice President, Tom Drennan from District 6060, to cycle the Erie Canal
The Rotary Club of Lockport, NY, is welcoming past District Governor (6060 Eastern Missouri), Tom Drennan, this July. Tom holds the role of Vice President of the RI Fellowship of Cycling US/Canada (Cycling 2 Serve). Through the RI C2S fellowship, Tom reached out to fellow member, Shelley Unocic (2023-24 President) with the Lockport Club. She and her club will welcome Tom on July 9th as he begins his ride starting in Niagara Falls.
He plans to arrive via Amtrak from Chicago early on July 9, with his bicycle and whatever his saddlebags will hold. He will embark on the start of his 385-mile quest to cycle the Erie Canal. He plans to navigate his way north to where his journey will officially begin at the American Falls. Tom will be joined by current Lockport members, Unocic and Dick Mullaney, club secretary. The 32-mile route will take them from the Falls region into Lockport that afternoon. He will be hosted overnight by Rotarians Steve and Cyndy Cotten. Several members of the club will meet for an evening of fellowship following the day’s ride.
The next morning the ride will continue eastbound along the canal with overnight stops planned in Rochester, Weedsport, Rome, Mohawk, and Amsterdam before hopping on and Amtrak to Schenectady. From there he’ll finish his adventure the last 30 miles to Albany before he boards a plane back home on July 15th.
Ironically, Ms. Unocic will be riding much of Tom’s route in reverse, starting on July 21st. She will be partaking in her 5th Empire State Ride to end cancer, benefiting Roswell Park Cancer Institute. With over 300+ riders alongside, they start on Staten Island in New York City and will pedal 560+ miles over seven days, before arriving at Niagara Falls, NY. She proudly represents Rotary on this ride and has met Rotarian riders from California and St. Thomas.
PHOTO: Shelley Unocic representing with her C2S jersey on the 2023 Empire State Ride from NYC to Niagara Falls. She will start her 7-day 560-mile ride on July 21, 2024.
For more information about the Cycling Fellowship visit: https://cycling2serve.us/ or contact Shelley at sunocic@cornerstoneicearena.com
If anyone would like to ride along with for a part of his journey, reach out to him at tomrotary6060@gmail.com.
Submitted by: Shelley Unocic 2023-24 Rotary Club of Lockport President
Tom joined the Rotary Club of Overland in 2000 and served as club president in 2004-05 and again in 2015-17. The club has since been renamed, The Spirit of St. Louis County Rotary Club. The club of 22 members has three past district governors, and the incoming Governor is from our district. At the district level, Tom has served as the Polio Eradication Chair for the last 5 years and as District Governor for District 6060 (Eastern Missouri) in 2020-2021. Tom and his wife, Joy, have been married since 2001 and have 5 grown children. Both Drennans are members of the Rotary Foundation's Bequest Society, Paul Harris Society, Polio Plus Society and are Major Donors to the Rotary Foundation.As an active member of Cycling 2 Serve, Tom has ridden in the Ride to End Polio, a 112 mile one-day ride in Tucson, AZ for 11 years and looks forward to returning this November. Tom cycled with Rotarians cycling from Rotary Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois to Springfield, Illinois. This past June Tom rode the Rotary Ride for MESA (Medical Equipment Sent Abroad) a weeklong event in Northern Ohio. Tom has supported the National Multiple Sclerosis Society by participating in the Bike MS event for over 25 years both in Missouri and South Florida.
Photo: Tom Drennan sporting one of his Rotary cycling jerseys