Also, survival in the field from a cardiac event is only 3%, but I still think it’s a great idea.

Hi all,

This is what we are thinking as a memorial ride Sunday:

Sunday 8:00am meet at Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park.

We'll ride two laps and then, whoever is up for it, ride to the Manhattan Bridge and lay some flowers -- understood that some might choose not to head to the Bridge.

• We'll meet at 8:00am
• Patrick, as President, will say some brief words. Perfectly ok if someone else wants to also say something
• We'll ride two laps, two abreast, mellow
• All are welcome (kissena member or not)
• We suggest we keep it somewhat light and casual, just let feelings flow as they may. Guessing, than no matter what, it'll be difficult enough.

I hope to post about this in our social media a bit later today.

Please let any comments or concerns be known. Specially, if there is another Park event at the time (I have checked and found nothing, but there is no consolidated list)

@GiacomoVischi let me know if you need help setting up the photo book (and if the club thinks it's a good idea and a digital version/landing page).

You can count me in for Sunday. Please let me know if you need anything.

Brooklynites. The club is sorting flowers for Sunday morning—white lilies or chrysanthemums. Does anyone have a good flower source that's not too far off the route (PP to Manhattan bridge)? Phil's family will likely join us on the bridge to lay them. 

I've researched a couple of florists off Flatbush that open at 9:00am, but don't know who has the fresh stuff. Stems https://www.stemsbrooklyn.com/about-us/ looks good, but open at 10:00am. Thinking good deli flowers are the go. 

John,
There is a decent flower shop’adjacent To Key Foods supermarket on 7th Avenue and Garfield Street in Park Slope.

The deli on 11th street and 7th ave (ie my corner deli) has great flowers, a stone throw from Prospect Park. I am happy to buy something there.

Thanks Thierry. Eloy, that sounds good, let's plan on getting there before and getting the flowers set aside so we can pick them up on the way through. We'll use Thierry's shop as a backup, Thierry what's the name and are they open Sunday morn?

The flower shop is part of the supermarket so I’m sure that the flowers will be available for sale during the morning hours.

You all are a bunch of Menches.

If someone could volunteer to scope out these flower shops to see if they'll have white chrysanthemums (or white lilies) Sunday I'd much appreciate it. 

A wreath and some twine might be an idea too. That way nothing has to lie flat on the ground.

Checked the key food place. They're open 24hr  cash only. Right now they have lillies and this other white flower. No chrysanthemum. They're not getting a delivery until tomorrow at 11am. liily

I'll be there 

A quick update. John Malcolmson, the guys from the bridge and I met with the family today. It was a positive a healing meeting for all involved. 

His family will be joining us to lay flowers at the bridge at the end of the memorial ride. We will meet and lay flowers at the Brooklyn entrance to the bridge near Jay street. I will say a few words and anyone else who wishes to say some words can do so as well. 

Afterwards cyclists can continue to ride to Piermont or have a donut or do whatever feels right.

As a reminder we are meeting at GAP at 8am.

Hope to see you there

I am out of town for the weekend, but I will be there in spirit. This is a very beautiful way to honor Phil’s memory. Be blessed

Some quick notes:

• Meet at GAP 8am
• Ride two laps Memorial laps,  two abreast, mellow, easy
• Those than want, will head to the Manhattan bridge to lay some flowers -- some might choose to skip this
• Route to the Manhattan Bridge, for our group today:
• • From PP GAP, ride Union to 5th ave, Right on 5th ave to Bergen, Left on Bergen to Smith, Right on Smith (which turns into Jay) all the way to the entrance of the Bridge
  • this way we'll ride by Thierry's flower option, just in case
• Phil's family will meet us at the entrance of the bridge
• Patrick, and anyone else, can say some words
• After the Manhattan bridge we can ride upstate
• Those that don't head to the bridge, can ride a few more laps in Prospect and then meet at Flatbush's Doughnut Plant
• Those that went to the bridge, but don't want to ride too long, can also meet at Doughnut Plant

This was a nice thing to do as a club. I'm glad I was there and proud to be a member of Kissena.

@PatrickGrehan your words were thoughtful, poignant and inspiring. Chapeau and thank you.  

I am so proud of you guys. Sometimes I wonder why I’m wearing KCC kit out here. Thank you all for reminding me.

Agreed, it was nice seeing so many old and new faces in kit collectively paying respects to one of our own. Truly one of the prouder moments during my tenure as a Kissena.

Today was hard, but a good day. I’ve only been a member for a short time, but the last week has shown me how much heart this team has. I feel lucky to call Kissena home.

Y’all are the best.

Thanks for the great turnout today. Phil would have been embarrassed and proud. 

In addition to current and past members attending, we had Kasia, a passerby who had been at the incident last week, and even a guy whose father was a Kissena member in the 70s and asked his son to ride with us in support, just to name a few. 

What follows is a copy of what I read at the bridge. I hope it will be the last time any of us will have to do something like this.

--

Thank you all for coming to pay respects to our friend Phil Ginsberg who died suddenly of a cardiac issue last week on this bridge. Over the past seven days we have experienced a range of powerful emotions. 

 

-  Shock and disbelief at how a seemingly healthy 36-year-old’s life could end without warning. 

-  Heartbreak for Phil’s’ family and fiancé who were robbed of a future with him. 

-  Anger at the injustice that someone who was so kind and such a good soul should be taken at such an early age.

-  Regret that we didn't spend more time with him while we had a chance. 

 

Phil's death also elicited positive emotions. 

-  It reminds us to treasure our friends and family and not to take for granted that there will always be another tomorrow. 

-  It gave us new found respect for Brian, John P, John O, Thierry and Rich. I've always known Kissena members to be good people. The decency of the members is what initially attracted me to the club, so it shouldn't come as a surprise how the guys on the bridge with Phil Sunday acted heroically to try to save him. In the end, he had a cardiac incident that occurred so quickly that there was nothing that they or anyone else could've done to save him. 

-  New York can be a big and impersonal city, but he did not die alone. He spent his last day doing something he loved with a group of people who enjoyed being with him. And in the moments that counted they did all they could to help him. 

-  The guys from the bridge experienced a tragedy firsthand and will forever have a special bond with each other. I am honored to consider them my friends and teammates. Thank you guys.

 

I want to say a few more things about Phil. Some people knew Phil better than others. He joined Kissena in March of 2017. Many of us knew he loved Cyclocross, volunteered at Supercross, created a new website for the club last year and was on the club’s board as the director of Technology this year. But these details have little to do with why all of you have gathered here today. 

 

What I have learned is that we share a common experience of Phil. Whether we knew him well or had just met him once, everyone was taken by his warmth and positivity. He was a sweetheart, an optimist, and was everybody’s “mate.” Several of us met with his parents yesterday and can see where that positivity comes from. His parents and his younger brother Tom have the same warmth as Phil. We are deeply sorry for their loss and wish that we had gotten to know them under different circumstances. Thank you for having shared Phil with us. 

 

Sometime later this year, his family intends on having a celebration of Phil's life to be held in Brooklyn. They have asked that his friends write and email brief stories about him. They also plan to raise funds to put towards a cause in Phil's name. The club will share details as they become available.  

 

So while many of you undoubtedly feel saddened by this tragic loss, I encourage each of you to hold on to a little of how Phil impacted us and pay it forward by spreading some of that positivity to others. When you leave today, share some of your gratefulness and positivity with family, friends or better yet a stranger. Then tomorrow, do it again and then the next day and so on and so on. This way a little bit of Phil will stay with us. 

 

Thank you all for coming.

Memorial ride pics https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r2186k5uyqzcddq/AAD5qdqqPRx27IIFU4SpCd7-a?dl=0

That’s beautiful Patrick. I’m certain his family will be comforted knowing firsthand what a warm family of friends he had in Brooklyn.

I think everything was planned and executed perfectly today. I am proud to be part of a club that has such compassionate and caring people and great leaders that we can all learn from (on and off the bike). I am sure today has helped Phil’s family cope with their loss.

When Patrick was reading Phil's history with the club I was filled with admiration.  He was a member for one year but in that time he volunteered at supercross, designed a new team website and served on the board as director of technology.  It would have been been easy for him to just say "I'm new here...I'm going to figure out the lay of the land before I commit to anything"...but he didn't, he chose action and that was admirable. Phil chose to make a life in a different country with different people and different customs (I mean we totally drive on the wrong side of the road here). That was brave. 
Love is never about what we say but what we do.  Love is about action.  Phil's actions made it clear that he loved Kissena and Kissena's actions today made it clear that we loved him.
Chapeau Phil Ginsberg...you were a man of action...you were admirable...you were brave...and you were loved.

A few photos of today. It was a good day.

David Yang also took some wonderful photos of our stop at the Doughnut Plant

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7AJ6M6FwCy1H4TpG8

I am very sad I was away this past weekend and missed this. It seems to have been a very moving and appropriate way to remember Phil, and just looking at the pictures is an emotional experience. I'm proud to be a part of this club.