I wore my LEGO socks (as a tribute to Niko's Eagle Scout project) on my 12.2 mile walk. Unlike stepping on a actual LEGO piece - ouch! - I did 33,472 steps in relative comfort during the nearly four hour hike.
Niko's legacy continues as another 300 Lego sets are dropped off at the Children's Hospital in Burlington, VT. I travelled from Philadelphia with LEGO sets that I purchased to match the $6.11 donations made to the Great Cycle Challenge. The LEGOs filled nine wagons! They will be given to kids, who like Niko had been, are being treated at the hospital. Niko's mom, dad and sister are all involved in scouting. (Can you spot me in my orange GCC t-shirt? I am wearing the Troop 611 neckerchief that I was given when I was named an honorary member of the Troop.)
I travelled to Burlington, VT to participate in the LEGO drop-off at the Children's Hospital. Niko's family invited me and my wife to join them for brunch before the drop-off. After brunch, Heather (mom), Alex (dad), Ella (Niko's sister) went for a short walk along the Lake Champlain. The wind was blowing hard making it feel much colder. However, meeting Niko's family was a heartwarming experience.
There are so many "connections" in this year's Great Cycle between me and Niko.
1. I saw a story about Niko's cancer battle in a Eagle Scout Facebook Group. (I am an Eagle Scout).
2. Niko's Eagle Scout project was collecting LEGO sets to give to patients at the Children's Hospital were he had been treated. (I collect Pez dispenser's and this year's giveaway at a Pez convention was a LEGO inspired dispenser.)
3. Only 4% of all scouts earn the rank of Eagle Scout. (Only 4% of all federal cancer research funding is allocated to childhood cancers.)
4. On my very first ride of the Challenge, I had an accident and am undergoing physical therapy on my neck and shoulders. (Niko's mother is a cooperative owner of a physical therapy business and is also certified therapist for cranio-sacral massage.)
5. Niko had brain cancer. (Several years ago I rode for a high school classmate's granddaughter who also had brain cancer. She survived and was asked to prom by a boy named Niko.)
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia had a fundraising walk scheduled that was washed out by heavy rain. A large group of participants decided to go the King of Prussia Mall to do their walk. I happened to be doing one of my PT walks there. When they saw the t-shirt I was wearing, they stopped to thank me for my donations of blood and platelets. They too know how important these fluids are to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments. Please donate either if you are eligible. It costs nothing other than your time.
Fundraising for the GCC will officially end at the end of October. I think it would be a wonderful gesture have donations of $6.11 made during this time period. Why, because that was Niko's troop number. A donation of that amount would be a tribute to Niko and the troop that supported him while he dealt with his cancer.
Fellow PEZ dispenser collector, Larry Mason, learned of the story behind the boy I am honoring in this year’s Great Cycle Challenge. Niko, who lost his fight with brain cancer, was an Eagle Scout, a huge Minnesota Vikings fan, and had a special connection to LEGO sets.
Larry created a special “LEGO set” for me to send to his family. The BSA shirts were created by assembling individual pieces, just like LEGO structures. The BSA stands for Boy Scouts of America. The stems are appropriately red, white and blue. The Eagle Scout dispenser has a glow in the dark stem, as earning that rank is a “glowing” achievement. Just 4% of all scouts reach the rank of Eagle. And then of course there is the purple and gold color scheme. These are the colors of Niko’s beloved Vikings with the final touch being their mascot sitting atop a its own purple stem.
Tomorrow (9/22), it will be three weeks since my cycling accident that occured on the very first day of the Great Cycle Challenge. It has been a slow and frustrating recovery. I spend a lot of time laying flat on my back with either heat or ice applied to my neck and shoulders. That down time gets my mind going in so many different directions. The other day I was contemplating and assessing just how I was feeling, both physically and emotionally.
While taking that mental inventory, the Seven Dwarfs characters popped into my head. I was equating how I felt, or how I was acting like each of them. It turned out I saw a direct relationship with five of the seven.
DOC - I have spent a lot of time learning about concussions, nerve damage, treatments, recovery periods and appropriate treatments.
DOPEY - The concussion had slowed my cognitive abilities a bit. Sometimes it was a struggle to find the right word or to be able to articulate a thought I wanted to express.
SLEEPY - The continuing pain makes sleep difficult. I am constantly shifting to see if I can lessen the discomfort in a slightly different position. Flat on my back is not the way I like to sleep.
GRUMPY - Yep, the physical discomfort and lack of sleep definitely makes me grumpy. I appreciate my wife and others who are around me for putting up with me.
HAPPY - This one is the best! I feel so happy every time I see another donation has been made to my Great Cycle Challenge page, even though I am having to sit this one out.
Luckily, I am not SNEEZY. I can only imagine how uncomfortable a sneezing fit would feel while my neck is still recovering. And, then there is BASHFUL. I have to admit I am NOT bashful about asking for donations. Every dollar helps to fund childhood cancer research. So, on second thought, I guess that covers all seven dwarfs in one way or another.
Niko found solace in building LEGO sets while being treated. His Eagle Scout project was to collect sets for kids to build while they were hospitalized, That compassionate activity continues today, as his family still collects donated sets and deliver them to the hospital. I had purchased several sets and had the sent to his parents for delivery. While in NYC on Tribute Day to see Niko's picture on the big screen, I held up one of the LEGO bags from when I made the purchase to honor Niko's charitable work. I asked AI to recreate the picture as if a child had used crayons to draw it. If you too would like to donate a LEGO set or two, please email and I can send you the address to where it can be sent. My email address is MrMcPez@gmail.com.
Each year I have raffled off PEZ dispensers to help raise funds. This year, with it being the 250 anniversary of our independence, I though it was appropriate to include Uncle Sam and Paul Revere dispensers in the raffle. Judy Mesler who has supported my GCC riding for many years and who is also a fellow PEZ collector, was the winner.
