Big Laugh? Big Smile!

If you told me back in 2017 that I would participate in a challenge for 8 years to log over 1600 miles on a bike while raising over $50,000, I would have laughed hard.

As the month of September concludes, we are nearing the end of the 2024 Great Cycle Challenge. And thanks to you, instead of a laugh, I have a big smile!

As I complete my eighth year in taking part in this challenge, I reflect on how we have raised awareness, prayers, and funds to fight kids’ cancer while allowing me to “get on my bike and ride.” I am blessed to have so many wonderful and amazing friends, family, and supporters! Yes, over $50k in eight years.

Current totals for the overall 2024 challenge – 20,938 people joined the movement, raising $7.3m to fight kids’ cancer and pedaling almost 1.9 million miles.

For me in 2024, keep the number “71” in mind.

I turned 71 yesterday.

With a miles goal of 71, I doubled that this year.

I am so proud and honored to share that 71 sponsors joined me this year. Together we raised $12,215.

For the ranking of donations across the nation, our numbers show: 22nd across all the participants, 8th in the 66–75-year-old age group and 2nd in the state of IL

I hope you understand how much I appreciate your support of this cause and me.

Will I do this again next year? We can sort that out later.

Onward!

Sometimes you never know how you will get there

Yes, another update from me. I will keep this short.

Earlier this year, when I used my prior goal setting method of 1 more dollar and 1 more sponsor than the prior year, I wasn’t sure I would ever get there.

Waking up this morning, the board shows we have 68 sponsors donating $11,864. That is 2 more sponsors and $24 more dollars than we did in 2023. WOW! And a few of you have donated more than once to support this cause.

68 sponsors! I am humbled by all your support.

I wanted to highlight 3 sponsors.

Many of you know the friends we have lost in the last 4 years, who are riding along with me – Pat Milbourne, Tim Cigrang and Tim Gillespie. I am honored by 3 of my friends in the donor lineup again this year – Jan, Donna and Karen – the spouses of our dear friends.

Onward!

Week #3 done but the challenge continues.....

We are into the last week of the Great Cycle Challenge for 2024. This is that time where friends and family are probably tired of my GCC posts. As the kids with cancer and their families never give up, I will keep at it until the month is up. Thanks for putting up with me.

The bike did find the trails 2 times this week, as other fun stuff like kayaks and golf and beer trails and kids came up. The miles keep adding up, as do the sponsors and donations.

Keep thinking about these kids!

Week #2 done …… and the beat goes on……

It has been a busy week for all.

The 21k participants involved in this total challenge have donations of $6.4 million, with 882k miles pedaled across the USA. It was a great Match Day for the GCC, with $3.3 million raised on Tuesday.

And me? My goals for the year were the same as in the past – add one more sponsor and one more dollar than I did the year before. In 2023, I had 66 sponsors, who raised $11,844.

So far in 2024, our 61 sponsors have achieved $10,674. THANK YOU! Take a moment to pat yourself on the back.

My miles? My goal of 71 miles is related to the age I will be at the end of the month. The bike has logged 121 miles, and I will keep riding.

Feel free to share my info with others to raise awareness, funds, and prayers.

The picture attached? Our niece Caite made this flag for us last year. It is proudly displayed near our front door.

Thanks for being on my team and helping these kids and this cause.

Mid-Week #2: two updates

1. I had shared the idea of Match Day, which occurred on Tuesday 9/10. Never could I have imagined the results.

Overall, for the entire Great Cycle Challenge group of over 20,000 participants, the dollar total went up by $3.3m, with $1.5m of matching funds added to the $1.8m raised from individual donors.

How about for us? 15 sponsors added their names to my list, who donated $2200. And matching funds from the Cancer Research Fund totaled $1850. Or a total in 1 day of $4050. And now 61 sponsors are on the roster for us, with total contributions over $10,000. This involvement by all of you shows us remarkably high on all the leaderboards you might see out there.

I cannot express strongly enough my appreciation for this level of participation.

THANK YOU!

2. Open disclosure – I did double dip during this month. No, not a Seinfeld bit.

Besides Cancer awareness during the month of September, it is also Heart month. So, I signed up to do 100-mile bike fundraiser for the American Heart Association. I completed 100 miles on Tuesday morning. Yes, sharing miles.

It is appropriate that my focus on bike riding over the years helped me with the Heart challenge. As many of you know, my heart issues that arose in January 2023 had a great outcome, primarily related to the exercise over the years on the bike.

Week 1 complete

It has been a busy week.

On Sunday, we participated again in Bike the Drive, an event we really enjoy. We were joined again this year by Kasey, Eric, Ava and Noah. It was a beautiful morning.

We were also informed that GCC Match Day will happen on Tuesday 9/10 for any online donations done on that day. If you know someone interested in donating, let them know about the match on Tuesday 9/10.

I am happy to report that now seven days into the month of September, I accomplished my goal of 71 miles this morning. This week had 5 days of riding, one day of "rest" and one day of watching little kids.

I started out this morning in the 40s (not my age, the temp). And the music was playing loudly this morning as I thought of so many things. I stopped by to visit my friend Tim, who passed away in 2021. He biked and golfed and did so many things with our family.

Oh yeah – and the answer to the question on your mind – YES, I will keep riding during September.

There are now over 20,000 riders across the nation registered for this challenge.

From my last note, eight more sponsors have joined our team, with a total of 44 now riding along with me.

Thanks for joining me on this ride!

Yikes – my turn!

All of you have done your part of the challenge by supporting me and donating to this cause.

With September almost here, it is time for me to start collecting my miles. There are over 18, 000 riders across the nation registered for this challenge.

There are now 36 sponsors on my list and riding along with me.

Current leaderboard info across all categories shows me/we are doing very well thanks to your help.

A little bit of trivia – of the top four fundraisers in Illinois, three are ex Motorolans.

When I first joined this challenge in 2017, my primary goal was to ride my bike more, along with raising awareness and donating a few dollars from Sue and me. I am proudly able to report that together over these seven plus years, we have now raised close to $45k. And still counting.

Another information note for you.

August 21st was Tribute Day for the Great Cycle Challenge. This was a day to remember those we've lost, honor those who are fighting to survive and celebrate the efforts of those who are riding in September. For 8 hours on a billboard in Times Square, pictures were displayed of those riding and those we are riding for. We were proud to have our pictures shown as part of that tribute.

Words cannot express how thankful and honored I am that you have supported this cause.

August already?

August is here and I am back for my monthly update.

In the last month, 5 more sponsors joined our team, adding over $500. We now have 28 sponsors for a total of $4560. Amazing! And the beat goes on……

Sue and I participated in another fundraising event last night - a late-night ride starting at 10:00 pm, going through the trails and streets of Crystal Lake. Fun to be together doing it.

I wanted to take some time here to give more background on how we got here.

OUR WHY

In 1979, 13-year-old Katie Hageboeck, from Minnesota, was nearing the end of her 16-month battle with leukemia. Before she died, Katie asked that the money she’d been saving for a 10-speed bicycle be donated to a little-known fund at the University of Minnesota called Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF). With that seed of support from Katie and her family, CCRF has grown to contribute over $200 million in funding of nationwide research, education and quality of life programs for children with cancer.

Katie never got the chance to ride her new bike, so now we ride to realize her dream of a world without childhood cancer. Since the first Great Cycle Challenge event in 2015, our community of riders from all 50 states has ridden a total of 33,817,103 miles, and together we’ve raised $72,646,876 in support of research to develop better treatments and carry-on Katie’s legacy.

THANK YOU for being part of it.

2 months before the miles count

The official registration for this year’s challenge starts now.

As you know, I got a head start.

With your support, we now have 23 sponsors and donations totaling over $4100.

I thought I would share some information here on what we fund.

Innovative and promising research

We fund research at institutions nationwide, focusing on projects that allow researchers to prove their idea, then reach for even larger grants. Federal funding sources often don’t fund projects until much later in the process.

Enhance healing and care for families

We understand that when a child is diagnosed with cancer, it affects the whole family. That’s why we fund programs that help families find joy and support during and after cancer treatment, from peer support groups to camps to programs for caregivers and siblings.

Educate the world about childhood cancer

Through stories of families fighting cancer and researchers who won’t stop looking for answers, we educate the world about what we can do to create a world without childhood cancer.

Hello Summer!

I’m back with my monthly update. The weather has allowed our bikes to find the trails more in May.

More in May? We added 4 more sponsors in May. Our totals are now showing 22 donors, contributing $4100. Although still early in the process, we still rank high on the leaderboards. Thanks!

Want to help raise awareness, resources and prayers? Feel free to share our information with your family and friends, through talk, text, email, social media.

Get out and enjoy this time of the year.

“Beginnings are endings. It is often said that every ending contains a new beginning, but the beginnings flow everywhere you look, and endings too. Every moment is a new chance to begin again, to do better, to do things differently.”