Pork Chops, Pie and Pancakes
by Colin Wallis (LIVESTRONG Staff)
4 pork chops, 2 pasta dinners, 3 breakfast burritos, 4 slices of homemade pie, a dozen or so homemade cookies, several BBQ sandwiches, more Honey Stinger peanut butter bars than I care to remember, 6 pancakes, 6 pieces of sausage, 4 smoothies, too many Michelob Ultras, french toast, 2 turkey tenders, Pepsi Pot Roast and mashed potatoes, 1 “stolen” bike, and $1 million raised in the fight against cancer. This is the first 5 days of RAGBRAI. The food and miles logged is all me – the money and awareness raised, well, that is another story.
Local Pancake Stand
In 2006, Lance was retired from professional cycling and finally had the opportunity to make a trip to RAGBRAI – the (Des Moines) Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. He delivered the LIVESTRONG message to a rabid crowd of more than 30,000 in Newton, Iowa. LIVESTRONG‘s Government Affairs guru, David Lofye, brought me back the business card of the ride director,T.J. Juskiewicz, and said they would love to help in some way. I took an idea to our CEO at the time, Mitch Stoller, and asked if we could put together a team to do the event as a fundraiser. As usual, he was more than willing to allow one of my hair-brained ideas. TJ and the wonderful folks at the RAGBRAI organization were more than willing to accommodate us and 4 years, 500+ Team LIVESTRONG riders, and several thousand miles later, we surpassed the $1 million mark in fundraising. Simply amazing.
2010 brought 105 cyclists from all around the country (and Steve from Sydney, Australia) to the starting line in Sioux City, Iowa. We all dipped our wheels in the river and the ride was underway. To explain RAGBRAI requires one to experience the madness. Up to 20,000 people rolling their way across Iowa on bikes every day for an entire week. The ride literally starts in one river on the west side of the state and ends in the one on the other – the route changes yearly but typically entails about 450 miles.
Team LIVESTRONG at the River
Team LIVESTRONG brings an added wrinkle to the event. Our participants raise funds to support the mission of LIVESTRONG and spread the word throughout Iowa. This year, we celebrated what would have been Tina’s daughter Katie’s 16th birthday with a huge cake. She died of cancer a couple of years ago. Jack Morton shared his story of riding with Team LIVESTRONG in 2008 and being diagnosed with Prostate Cancer the following week. Mary Ochowicz-Scezny shared the story of her son David, who is currently battling cancer and fighting for his life.
Mary and Colin
Like the rest of our participants, these folks get what LIVESTRONG is all about. They spend the week riding in unison, passing out wristbands, attending cancer fundraisers, visiting with patients, and generally spreading the LIVESTRONG message across Iowa. What we have learned in Iowa is that the message is being heard loud and clear. Rarely a town passes that isn’t hosting a fundraiser for a cancer center, a patient, or a loved one.
Kids Holding Cancer Fundraiser
As we finish the last couple of days today and Saturday, we will ride as one and think about the 28 million people battling cancer. We will celebrate in the accomplishments of our riders, each and every one of whom has not only experienced cancer in a personal way, but has stood up and taken part of an event that is helping move us closer to a solution. For that, there are a whole lot of people out there who are eternally grateful.
LIVESTRONG,
Colin
Special thanks go out to all the amazing LIVESTRONG staffers, interns, supporters, and particularly the RAGBRAI organization – without all of their hard work over the last 4 years, none of this would have been possible and to Steve Hed, John and Tiger for the LIVESTRONG Bus that follows us every day!
