Good Samaritan's Blessing of the Bicycles

A leader in the healthcare services industry, Andy Leeka is the president of Angle Health, a medical insurance provider based in San Francisco. He is also an avid cyclist with experience in both road cycling and mountain biking; his longest cycling adventure spanned 10 years, where he made his way from California to Maine in 12 stages interspersed between work commitments. Andy Leeka’s passion for bicycling and work in healthcare coincided while he was president and CEO of Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, which has hosted a Blessing of the Bicycles since 2003.

Held in towns across the nation since 1999, the Blessing of the Bicycles is a ritual that raises awareness and appreciation for bicyclists and their well-being. It originally involved local religious leaders reading biblical passages, performing prayers and sprinkling holy water on bicycles and riders to wish them safety. Over the years, however, it has expanded to include prayers and blessings from multiple religions, cultures and languages.

In cosmopolitan Los Angeles, for instance, previous events have had speakers present in Spanish, English, and Korean. Cyclists, young tricyclists, and non-cyclists have congregated at the Good Samaritan venue to remember those of them injured in road accidents, to discuss ways to promote safety, and to generally appreciate their common love of the two-wheeler, and the sense of community that comes with wishing well for one’s neighbor. During the hospital’s past Blessings, the event has also recognized groups who use bicycles to promote community welfare, such as the mobile medics unit of the Los Angeles Fire Department, or the Metropolitan Transport Authority’s projects to make the city streets more biker-friendly.