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2008
MS150 RIDE - TEAM SCHELLER'S RAISES OVER $12,000
Please
take the time to read this!
This year marked our team's 3rd year
of commitment to fundraising for Multiple Sclerosis during the 2008
MS150 mile Bike the Bluegrass.
As in the previous years, riding with my teammates over the hilly
Kentucky countryside is tough going and made even more challenging
this year with the sweltering
95F heat. What is also tough is the fundraising, for both the
fundraiser and the people making the generous donations and so I
would like to share with you some very moving moments of the
weekend.
On Saturday evening there is an open
air buffet for the riders to gather, share stories and replenish
their muscles after the arduous riding of the first days 75 miles.
At the end of evening gathering there are some speeches from the
organizers with recognition given to individuals and teams that have
amassed amazing fundraising results. There was a speech given by Bob
Wolz an Army Veteran of the Gulf war and Iraqi Freedom. His story
was captivating, funny, showed dogged determination and was tragic
to hear because he was misdiagnosed for a long time before an MRI
revealed all the lesions on his vertebrae and brain that he had
Multiple Sclerosis. He was
emphatic in the message that we all want to convey, and that is, no
matter how small a donation it still counts, it always counts and he
was eternally thankful for every one who helps. I am pictured here
with Bob who braved the heat to give the speech. He is wearing a
cooling vest that prevents him from getting to hot because on top of
all the debilitating characteristics of MS, in what we consider a
beautiful warm summers evening he blacks out.
On the second day it felt really hot
because there was hardly a cloud in the sky. We were supposed to
ride 75 miles each day, but due to some navigational difficulties
(all right it was me) we rode 84 miles on Saturday and 90 miles on
Sunday. At the end of the ride I was going up to the organizers tent
to collect my "I rode the MS150" T-shirt, I noticed a young lady
around twenty years old in front of me looking a little unsteady on
her feet. As she was being handed her T-shirt the volunteer handing
them out asked her if she was registered for the 2009 MS 150 ride.
She replied with a shaky voice and slightly slurred speech (which
reflected exactly how tired I felt after the ride) that she did not
think she could ride next year. The volunteer implored her to
register and said that everyone was so grateful for her efforts and
would she please come back. The young lady replied again in a shaky
voice and said that she did not think she could ride next year
because she had Multiple Sclerosis and that she did not think would
be able to balance or have the strength to ride a bicycle in a years
time. I collected my T-shirt and sat on the bus for the 1 hour ride
back to my car in silence.
To everyone that found the charity in
them to donate, I thank you, for those of you who felt pressured by
me and did not want to disappoint me personally so donated, I thank
you, if you did not really feel connected to this cause I hope my
letter shares with you how important your donations are in helping
people live with MS and that your donations will help one day find a
cure.
Thank you for participating in this event
and helping raise money to find a cure. Scheller's was once again the 4th
highest fund raising team!!!
Frank.
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invincible.
