STAY ACTI VE– RESPONSIBLY NORTE VS. COVID-19
NORTE’S COVID-19 TASK FORCE: BEN BOYCE GARY HOWE RYAN SCHROCK RACHAEL FRANKS TAYLOR
BY RACHAEL FRANKS TAYLOR 2020 was a bruiser.
The COVID-19 pandemic upended any sense of normalcy. Navigating what we naively thought might eventually settle into a “new normal,” most of us didn’t know what we were doing most of the time. Simple decisions were cast into an extraordinary new context, creating an exhausting conveyor belt of uncertainty. Many in our community are suffering from illness, isolation, or the ripple effects of the pandemic. We wrap our arms around those who have lost loved ones—safely and responsibly, from a distance. However, many of us have reason to be grateful. Here at Norte, we are thankful for the opportunities and lessons learned in 2020. It hasn’t been without disappointments, but how do you learn without a few scrapes here and there? Isn’t that what we teach at Summer Bike Camp? Looking back, Norte responded and delivered, including getting bikes to people in need of some wheels. We accomplished this with our everexpanding Bike Library, Essential program, and our first Norte TuneUp. A year ago, when the State of Michigan began to order closures, require masking and physical distancing in public spaces, and restrict gathering, Norte battened the hatches. March, April, and May were as uncertain for Norte as they were for everyone else, not knowing when or how we’d be able to resume programming. After three months of extreme uncertainty, restrictions eased. As a community, we took a deep breath and began to venture out. Here at Norte, we dedicated time and energy to safely navigate the pandemic. 6 2020 NORTE ANNUAL REPORT
The newly christened Norte COVID-19 Task Force closely followed and analyzed policy changes, local conditions, and advice from experts. How would this pandemic impact our services? Where was our place? Fortunately, as we approached Summer Bike Camp, Michigan’s curve began to flatten. And life opened up a bit more. The Task Force recommended Norte run summer programs, albeit with precautions and monitoring in place, ready to pull back if policies and our community’s numbers warranted. Our responsibility reached beyond our campers and staff; our new mantra extended to the community at large: Stay active—responsibly. Children that had been cooped up since schools abruptly closed midMarch were overjoyed to feel the freedom of two-wheels, riding the trails with small cohorts of their peers. Wind in the hair, smiles, and handwashing—lots of handwashing. But at the end of the season, more young riders than any previous summer had safely ridden their hearts out in summer camp. As the last week of camp rolled out in August, our fall programs were already filled. We don’t know what 2021 will bring. We do know that Norte will continue to respond with care, empathy, and a commitment to public health. We are committed more than ever to offering safe ways to support Northern Michigan’s youth, two wheels at a time.
