If all goes according to plan, one of the largest and most successful charity bicycle rides in the country will have one of its starts in Tomball next spring.

According to Tomball Mayor Gretchen Fagan, the BP MS 150 is considering including the City of Tomball as a starting place for the 27th annual ride, scheduled for April 16 and 17, 2011.

Currently, three starting points are utilized: the Omni Houston Hotel Westside, Rhodes Stadium in Katy and Waller High School Stadium in Waller, with an overnight stay in La Grange. An estimated 13,000 cyclists take part in the two-day, 180-mile journey from Houston to Austin in order to help raise money and support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society – Lone Star.

Pictured, riders during last year’s BP MS 150 gather in La Grange to await the start of the final leg of the BP MS 150.

Submitted Photo

About three weeks ago, Fagan, City Manager George Shackelford and Police Chief Rob Hauck met with two representatives from the National MS Society – Lone Star at the city’s request, according to Kelli Dreiling, VP – Houston Development for the Lone Star chapter.

Dreiling explained that the group proposed including Tomball as a starting place for next year’s event, but added that “research needed to be done before the idea can be entertained.”

“At this point, it is completely exploratory and the Society is researching the viability of that as an option,” Dreiling said.

A second meeting is scheduled for Nov. 1 between Tomball representatives and MS Society organizers.

At an Oct. 18 meeting of the Tomball City Council during which Fagan proposed the plan, she said that Tomball could be a draw to MS 150 planners because of its sense of community and strong show of support for charity efforts.

Fagan estimated that between 500 and 1,000 cyclists could utilize the Tomball start, should the plan come to fruition. She added that with the likely scenario that many cyclists would have family and friends seeing the riders off, the city could benefit from hotel/motel tax revenue, as well as a spike in generated sales tax.

Council member Derek Townsend added that the event should qualify for hotel occupancy tax funds.

Should Tomball serve as a starting point for the ride, Fagan said the city would likely need to provide security and police patrols for the riders “out to Telge.”

She added that the event could serve as a community-wide volunteer effort and include a pasta dinner the Friday night before the start of the race.

The Houston-to-Austin MS 150 began in 1985 with 237 cyclists that raised $117,000. Since then, the event has grown to one of the largest charity rides in the United States, with more than 13,000 riders raising a record $18 million for MS research last year.

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the funds raised support “research, programs and services” that benefit an estimated 20,000 people affected by MS in 174 Texas counties.

The BP MS 150 is now one of four rides that benefit the Lone Star chapter. Bike MS: Louisiana was held Oct. 2 and 3; Bike MS: Valero was held Oct. 9 and 10 and includes a ride from San Antonio to New Braunfels and back; and the Bike MS: Sams Club, which is held April 30 to May 1, begins in Frisco and ends in Ft. Worth.

For more information about the BP MS 150, visit ms150.org.

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