“Grey’s Anatomy” star Patrick Dempsey and top American pro cyclist Tom Danielson led cyclists on a 2.2-mile loop closed to traffic that extended from Jackson Street to 19th Street and included South Fifth and South Meyer avenues.

The event will be featured in Bicycling Magazine’s next issue.

Patrick Dempsey and Tom Danielson, courtesy of Pima County Communications

My previous blog post announcing this bicycling event (click here).

Ride on, Tucson!, courtesy of Pima County Communications

Press release from Pima County:

Patrick Dempsey, photo by John Shearer/Getty Images

“Grey’s Anatomy” star Patrick Dempsey and top American pro cyclist Tom Danielson will host a bike party in Armory Park on Sunday, January 20, 1 – 4 p.m. Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry and Board of Supervisors Chairman Ramón Valadez will kick off the event and join this community ride for people of all ages and abilities.

“Patrick and I really like the community aspect of bike riding,” says Danielson. “And we wanted to get everyone out for a bike ride. It doesn’t matter if they’re riding an old bike or a new one, we just want people to have fun on their bikes.” Danielson rides for the Garmin-Sharp pro cycling team and prepares for his race season by training in Tucson in the winter.

The Ride on, Tucson! route will be closed to vehicle traffic so everyone can enjoy a leisurely ride around one of Tucson’s oldest neighborhoods. Armory Park will host music, including Jovert, Tucson High Magnet School’s steel drum band, and the Determined Luddites. Other festivities will take place throughout the afternoon. Bicyclists can ride the 2.2-mile route multiple times, meet some new bicycling friends, and pick up event posters signed by Dempsey and Danielson.

Pima County Bike Ambassadors will help keep bicyclists moving in the right direction along the route and provide information about bike safety and other great places to ride in Pima County. Mechanics will be on hand to fix flat tires and do other minor repairs.

Bicycling Magazine will visit Tucson for the event as well. Editor-in-chief Peter Flax will arrive a few days early to ride on The Loop shared use path. He will also tour other bike infrastructure in Tucson like the Rattlesnake Bridge and bike boulevards.

“It’s a great way for us to showcase The Loop to the over 400,000 people who read Bicycling Magazine,” says Huckelberry. “Pima County and Tucson can promote our region as a bicycling destination and showcase the economic development potential of The Loop.”

Like Danielson, Patrick Dempsey also has a connection to Tucson. As a teenager, he starred in the 1987 movie, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” that was filmed here. He enjoyed his time in the city then and looks forward to the ride. In a recent video interview with Bicycling Magazine, Dempsey talked about encouraging kids to ride: “Think about when you were a kid, you had the opportunity to go somewhere, the bike gave you freedom. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.”

Helmets are required for Ride on, Tucson! Event participants may be featured in upcoming Bicycling Magazine videos and articles. For Ride on, Tucson! information, go to: http://www.20-20cycling.com/ride-on-tucson/

For more information about The Loop, the bike and pedestrian paths being developed along the Rillito, Santa Cruz and Pantano rivers and on Julian Wash and Harrison Road greenways, visit http://www.pima.gov/theloop/

For info contact: Mary Reynolds, Communications Coordinator
520-724-3738, Mary.Reynolds@pima.gov

I rented that Tucson movie “Can’t Buy Me Love” a few years ago, and it’s worth seeing esp. the very young, cute Patrick Dempsey, way before he became an actor portraying a doctor on “Grey’s Anatomy”. And check out the movie scenes at Tucson High School. Please join in with this healthy, community event for a 2.2 mile ride around downtown Tucson. See the route map below starting at Armory Park, down south to E. 19th St., then back up to Jackson Street.

Here’s a brief film review of a newly released Valentine’s Day comedy, the preview of which I saw last Monday at El Con theater. Check out the website, of this movie which opened two days ago on 2/12/10.

“Valentine Day” stars a number of beautiful, famous actresses– including Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Julia Roberts, and beautiful, famous actors –Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Ashton Kutcher, among others. Wow, that cast alone would make most of us go to the movie.

The plot basically revolves around a Los Angeles florist shop owner/manager who is in love, has a best woman friend, has to help customers send Valentine flowers on probably the busiest day of his job, along with his workers. Most of the twenty characters interact, so it’s a complicated film, but quite funny and definitely a “date flick”.

It’s all about a day in the life of love.

Valentine red roses

But more importantly, the movie portrays different types of love: high school romances, the dating game at work, romantic love, married love, parental and grandparental love, love for a teacher, gay love, straight love, elderly love.

And there are even scenes of a hilarous “I Hate Valentine’s Day” party, with Jamie Foxx playing the piano.

Enjoy today however you celebrate it. Happy V-Day (or not).