Brianna is with me on each ride

I order to create a more"physical" connection with the child I am riding for, I have always carried one of their favorite toys with me. You may recall pictures of me from past years with Captain America, Lightning McQueen or Puppy in my rear jersey pocket. This year, a co-worker, Joyce Selke, saw that Brianna had loved butterflies. Joyce had this piece made, which I have been carrying on each of my rides. It is a simple gesture, but one that symbolizes that Brianna's spirit and I share these rides together.

It's not a hypothetical. It is real.

It is not conjecture, nor a hypothetical. It is still very much a harsh reality. Cancer kills children, regardless of how pure their heart or how sweet their disposition. If we don't personally experience the heartache of losing a child, we may feel distanced from cancer's cruelty. Sometimes a tangible, physical object like a grave marker helps us to realize cancer is taking the life of children everyday. It is real, It needs to be stopped. For Brianna, there was no effective treatment for her cancer. It cost her her life. Thank you for helping to fund the research needed to someday allow a child to play on the grass, rather than be buried below it.

Not all Monsters are friendly

Brianna is standing in front of Scully. He is a mischievous but friendly character from Monster's Inc. Cancer, however, is a real monster. It sucked the life from this five year old child. The riders in the Great Cycle Challenge pedal their bikes to raise funds to eliminate that monster and let kids live a full life. Thank you for supporting me and for helping to find a cure.

3 weeks down, 1 to go

We are three quarters of the way through the Great Cycle Challenge. I had set two individual goals: 1) to have 200 donors, 2) from 35 different states. The charts show I am on target to meeting them. However, the last quarter is always the most difficult to reach. So, I could use your help in spreading the word to others that may want to donate, and/or live in one of the states I do not yet have. Here is the link to the state map: www.BikeOnMike.com.

"I'm strong to the finish, cause I eat my..."

As you may know, I collect Pez dispensers. To encourage donations, I will have a raffle for ones that I can connect with the GCC. For instance, I had a raffle for two pony dispensers that I called "Pony Up to beat Kids' Cancer." As the end of Childhood Cancer Awareness nears, I am holding another raffle. This one is to remind me to stay strong to finish (Popeye) to meet my mileage goal and recognize that all of my donors are "champions"(Olympic and Paralympic dispensers). If you have already donated, and want in on the raffle, just make ANOTHER donation. For every $10 you donate, you receive one entry. The drawing will be 9/30. Keep them for yourself or give them to some one who would like them. The winner receives all three!

Six Degrees of Separation

Six degrees of separation is the idea that all people are six or fewer social connections away from each other. As a result, a chain of "friend of a friend" statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps. This concept means you, and all of your friends, have a connection to a child who has fought, or is fighting, a battle with cancer. So, PLEASE SHARE my Great Cycle Challenge participation with your own friends and encourage them to share it as well.

Unicorn and Rainbows

From Brianna's obituary:

"Brianna was universally adored by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. She was smart and spunky, precious and precocious, witty and wise beyond her years. She loved princesses, rainbows and unicorns; anything pink and purple..." Brianna passed in June, a couple of months before the Great Cycle Challenge. Sadly, I now ride in her memory. To keep her spirit with me, I found a cycling outfit that has what she liked - unicorns and rainbows!

Let's color it Orange!

It seems everyone is speaking of how divided the country has become. Talking heads are labeling states as being ether red or blue, which depending on who is talking, has an implied good or bad connotation. However, when it comes to the "common good," I find most people will forego their own political biases and will come together. Making a donation to help fund the research needed to find better treatments for pediatric cancers is one such example So, on my own map, I am coloring states orange, (A color in the Great Cycle Challenge logo.) When I receive a donation, I will color the state the donor resides in orange, if it hasn't already been filled. Here is what my map looks like as of today (Sept. 4). There are already 22 orange states, Please spread the word about the GCC and help me completely fill in the map. Together we can do it!