Patterson memorial bike ride, tribute groundbreaking set for Saturday

Two years after the tragic death of beloved Hudson’s Bay High School teacher Gordon Patterson, a second memorial bike ride on Saturday will climax with the groundbreaking of a new memorial garden on campus.

Cyclists will depart at 9 a.m. from the school’s front door (reached via the driveway at 1601 E. McLoughlin Blvd.). A four-mile loop will lead to and from Patterson’s former church on North St. Johns Road, in the Minnehaha neighborhood. A longer 10-mile circuit is also available.

Suggested donation is $5 per person, $15 per family; bike helmets are required. Proceeds go to the Gordon Patterson Memorial Scholarship Fund.

At 11 a.m., volunteers will stage a groundbreaking for a new memorial garden inside the spacious Hudson’s Bay campus courtyard. Two dogwood trees will be placed; more landscaping and a marker are planned.

Also on Saturday, the Burgerville U.S.A. restaurant at East Fourth Plain Boulevard and Fort Vancouver Way will donate a portion of breakfast sales, from 7 to 11 a.m., to the scholarship fund.

A lunch gathering starts at noon Saturday at Benny’s Rod and Custom Pizza Cafe, 4219 N.E. St. Johns Road.

Volunteers are still needed, to help with greeting and serving at Burgerville, registering riders, selling memorial items and guiding visitors to the Hudson’s Bay courtyard. Those interested should contact: gpatter@juno.com.

A popular and longtime teacher and regular bicycle commuter, Patterson was struck and killed in September 2009 by a car driven by a former Hudson’s Bay student. The church and Pizza Cafe are very near the accident scene.