This is part 2 of a 3 part series written by FPGW Director of Development and Community Engagement, Beth Schafers. If you haven’t already read Part 1, you can do so here.
With as much as the support from the team makes a huge difference in a rider’s success in the Tour de France, I spend every stage of the race on the edge of my anxiety because the supporters along the sides of the roads make me extremely nervous.
Fans from all over the world travel to France to see this epic event in person. Just to catch a glimpse of the riders as they FLY past you on the road is extremely exciting. People hike, bike, and camp just to be a part of the incredible atmosphere.
But much too often, these fans that have come to cheer riders along to victory get too close. Their signs that are homemade and offer encouragement end up hitting a rider in the face and knocking them off their bike. A banner hung in celebration comes loose and gets tangled in someone’s bike, throwing them over the handlebars. A food bag gets extended at the wrong time and gives someone a bloody nose. A spectator trying to capture the selfie of a lifetime ends up stepping into the road and causing a huge pileup.
In the Tour de France, these missteps by an avid fan can cause damage to equipment and bodies, can end someone’s race and hopes for victory, and can even end careers. It is devastating and can happen in the blink of an eye.
None of the supporters that have caused incidents like this have had malicious intent. They are caught up in the moment – exhilarated by the atmosphere found along the roads in the French countryside during the Tour. They are there to experience something larger than themselves.
So too, I see this play out in the world of Family Promise and social impact in general. We forget that boundaries are important and that we are not the ones laying it all on the line to get to the finish. As supporters who are often on the sidelines, we sometimes forget our role and get caught up in the moment.
At Family Promise of Greater Wichita, every policy and procedure is paired with thought, care, and support. Even policies like not taking pictures of guest families – something that, in a time when everyone has a phone in their hand, goes against the grain – requires intention and commitment on everyone’s part. These things are essential to uphold our organization’s core values that support and empower families well, but we must be diligent or we face a similar risk to the Tour de France supporters. We might forget that there are important boundaries and guidelines in place to protect and empower our champions and that our interference with those things can be devastating.
That should not deter us from showing up. The atmosphere and support and community is what makes the Tour incredible and that’s the same for Family Promise. But recognizing and understanding our role in the bigger picture – and remembering who the mission is for and about – all of that is key to a successful ride to the finish that we can all savor and celebrate together.
Find Part 3 of this series here.
Beth Schafers serves as the Director of Development and Community Engagement at Family Promise of Greater Wichita. She is passionate about the work of Family Promise, making the Wichita community better for all, and living with no agenda but love. You can reach her at beth@familypromisewichita.org.
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