By Andrew Shepler

Saving the Crew is about more than soccer. It is also about community and love for our amazing city. It is about coming together in a time of turmoil and working together to better our city and community.

As a supporter of the Crew since 1996, it is hard to remember a time in Columbus without them. It also is hard to imagine what soccer would be like in Columbus if the team had never existed. From being the spiritual home of US Soccer, to Dos a Cero victories and multiple MLS cups and All-Star games hosted in town, having the Crew here in our city has helped put Columbus on the map internationally.



As a graduate of Gahanna-Lincoln High School, I find immense pride in seeing multiple fellow alumni play for the Crew. They grew up knowing nothing but Columbus having pro soccer. It was their dream to grow up and play for their hometown club, and they succeeded. Seeing them play for the community in which they grew up brings me great joy.

There is no doubt that the current situation with the Crew has caused many emotions. I certainly started with grief and anger, but thanks to the Save the Crew community, those feelings have turned into motivation to take positive action.

That motivation led to the idea that I could help support the community that means so much to me in multiple ways.

Similar to Crew supporters, #SaveTheCrew business ally Pelotonia is focused on community. Pelotonia is also a group of people coming together in a time of need working to raise money for cancer research for the betterment of our community.

Combining #SaveTheCrew with Pelotonia has led to a #SaveTheCrew peloton (group of cyclists) that is riding to both raise money for cancer research and show support for keeping the Crew where they rightfully belong. Sign up to support the #SaveTheCrew Peloton.

The team of seven (and still open to more joining if anyone is interested) is excited to hit the road on August 4th and support these two communities that mean so much to us. Look for the amazingly designed #SaveTheCrew bike jerseys and check back on the blog after the event for an update on how it went.