SAN ANGELO, TX — A team of cyclists riding in the Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour stopped at Lake View High School last week, sharing personal stories meant to inspire students to consider blood, marrow, stem-cell, organ and tissue donation.
The week-long tour, which aims to raise awareness about the life-saving impact of donation, began in Canyon on Nov. 2 and ended in Fredericksburg on Nov. 8. Riders traveled roughly 90 miles from Abilene to San Angelo, making Lake View one of their featured stops, according to information released by the school district.
During a school assembly, each cyclist honored a member of the San Angelo community by sharing how donation had changed that person’s life. Honorees and family members joined the riders on stage, representing donor families as well as recipients who have benefited from transplants.
Lake View’s stop highlighted former student and soccer standout Sarah Pipkin-Love, who participated in this year’s ride. Pipkin-Love, now a teacher and soccer coach in Corpus Christi, received a life-saving heart transplant in 2010. She told students that returning to the halls where she grew up was emotional and meaningful.
“Returning to Lake View was deeply personal for me,” she said. “To stand in front of students and share my story, to show that all of my life’s adventures and opportunities started right there in those halls, was incredibly meaningful.”
She added that her transplant shaped her outlook on life. “Growing up with a heart condition, I think I’ve always viewed life a little differently. After my transplant, that perspective has only deepened—I try to say yes to the opportunities that come my way and make the most of every experience.”
Event organizer Monica Robles, the Hospital Donor Service Coordinator for the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, also spoke during the assembly. Robles, a living kidney donor and an honoree in this year’s tour, said she hoped the event helped students understand that “every person has the power to make a lasting impact.”
The Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour brings together donor families, recipients and advocates to highlight the importance of giving. At Lake View, the message centered on the idea that ordinary choices — donating blood, registering as an organ donor or simply discussing donation with loved ones — can save or transform lives.
“It’s a celebration of life, legacy, and community,” Robles said.
You can read more from San Angelo ISD HERE.
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