Breckenridge Texan

Fog cloaked the Breckenridge City Park on Saturday morning as family, friends and community members gathered for the second annual Sloan Everett Memorial Bike Ride, but the mist lifted just in time to clear the way for the riders to head off down the highway.

Saturday morning, Katharine Everett Meuli addresses the crowd gathered for  the Sloan Everett Memorial Bike Ride (Photo by Tony PIlkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Before the official bike ride began, attendees gathered around the memorial that was dedicated to Everett last year. Everett, who was a Breckenridge civic and community leader, as well as an avid bike rider, died in a March 2017 wildfire in the Texas Panhandle.

On Saturday, Katharine Everett Meuli, one of Sloan’s sisters, spoke on behalf of the family at the memorial service. “Sloan loved this community; he loved Breckenridge,” she said, discussing how her brother spent a lot of his time and energy helping the community and how the family hopes to continue his legacy through events such as the bike ride.

Following the brief memorial service, about 30 bike riders, ranging from young children to grandparents, assembled near the Breck Trade Days barn for the start of the ride. As with last year’s inaugural event, the riders could choose from three routes, traveling south on U.S. Highway 183.

Cutline, top photo: About 30 riders took part in the second annual Sloan Everett Memorial Bike Ride on Saturday morning. They took off from Breckenridge City Park and chose from three different routes down U.S. 183 Highway South. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Story by Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan