Team Tailwind Profile: Phil Wu
Just in time for National Bike Month, we are celebrating Team Tailwind, our growing crew of monthly donors who support the Community Cycling Center’s transformative work. Over the next several weeks, we will be highlighting a few Team Tailwind members. Thanks, Team!
Who are you? What do you do/enjoy?
I’m a retired pediatrician, but I continue to stay active by working part time with Community Benefit at Kaiser Permanente. My role is to consult with and provide assistance to community organizations on behalf of Kaiser Permanente. Most, if not all, the organizations with whom I’m associated impact community health in one way or another. I’m privileged to meet many brilliant and dedicated people and learn about innovative ways to benefit the diverse communities in our region. While I’ve spent a career impacting health from the perspective of medical care, it’s gratifying to see how so many community organizations are also impacting health through other dimensions (e.g. economic, education, housing, transportation, and others). Personally, I get great pleasure just by being outdoors, and it’s less about what I do outdoors and more about being in connection with the natural world, though I do enjoy walking and biking in particular.
What about the Community Cycling Center inspires you to give monthly?
The Cycling Center knows that it wants to benefit communities of color and the economically disadvantaged and underserved communities. This is especially important in the current political climate since these are the populations that have historically been disregarded and, when things get tough, are the first to be jettisoned, as we see right now. It’s critical for organizations like the Cycling Center to maintain their dedication and capacity to serve because no one else will consistently do this. Personally, this is why I give monthly, because I don’t want my support to wane, become dependent on just the good times, or become inconsistent. It’s a part of my core financial budget no matter what happens.
Why do you feel it’s important to give monthly?
My personal reasons are above, but I also think about financial stability from the perspective of the Cycling Center. All nonprofits that do great work live on a shoestring budget, and the Cycling Center is no exception. Just like a personal budget, the Cycling Center can plan and serve more effectively if it can count on its sources of revenue.
What was your first bicycle? How did it make you feel?
I actually can’t remember my first bicycle or when I first learned to ride, but I think it was some time between the age of 5-6 when I lived in Redwood City, CA and before my family moved to Palo Alto when I was 8. I distinctly remember trying to learn to ride in the driveway of my Redwood City home and falling off my bike after crashing into a garbage can. No helmet; no damage done! The first bike I remember was a Raleigh something-or-other when I moved to Palo Alto. Great bike, and I felt tremendously liberated; my parents allowed me to go everywhere. So, at the age of 8 (maybe 8 1/2) I would ride all the way from Palo Alto back to Redwood City to visit friends (six miles away). Was that degree of freedom considered risky at that time? Not that I knew!
When you sign up as a member of Team Tailwind this month, you will be automatically entered to win one of our four gift baskets, each of which includes a custom jigsaw puzzle of the Community Cycling Center’s mural! Also, you will be on the same team as Alison and Jay, which is its own reward!
Donors who pledge $30/month or more receive a 10% discount on new parts and accessories at the bike shop and invitations to special Team gatherings throughout the year.