I remember when a community leader pulled me aside and said, “You should really ride for a reason.”
I nodded my head and said, “Definitely NOT! This is my vacation.”
For the past 35 years I’ve been touring the country every summer on my bicycle. Riding back from who knows where.
Fly to Simi Valley, Calif. to see the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and then bike home. Fly to Florida, bike home. Fly to Texas or Nova Scotia or South Carolina and bike home. Fly to Seattle, run the Rock n’ Roll Marathon and then bike home.
Three years ago I agreed to pedal for Alzheimer’s… but somebody else was going to do the work ie fundraising and building a website and a jersey. I started taking money – it went OK for about a week and then the coordinator dropped out and after that I tried to.
I went to Vic Albiero; he had contributed $100. I said, “Here Vic, take your money. The person organizing this had to back out and I just can’t do this on my own.”
Wise old Vic said, “Keep the money….. just do the best you can.”
Who would have thought three years later the Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s would have become “a thing.”
Who would have thought it would have raised over $60,000 for Alzheimer’s music activities and exercise at Cedar Community and who would have ever thought it would win national recognition.
Not me! That’s who.
Thanks to a nomination by Cedar Community I will be flying out this weekend to Washington D.C. to receive the ‘Exceptional Family Caregiver Award‘ from LeadingAge during the Great Minds Gala.
All this fancy stuff is a little outside my wheelhouse.
You’re talking to someone who gets along by bike, sleeps in church basements and then gets up the next day and pedals 100 miles and does that over and over and over again…. because I think it’s fun.
Because this http://www.washingtoncountyinsider.com page is about community – I’ve decided to bring you all along for the ride; figuratively. It’ll be a spectacular couple of days in D.C.
A new adventure, some award coverage and a lot of exploring our nations capital.
Thanks for all your support. Judy Steffes – TheBikeWriter.blogspot.com