It gives me a good excuse to ride my bike, enjoy the company of strangers and help out some friends, what better charity could there be?
This year, Pro Bono took the show on the road and traveled to norther Idaho to participate in the closed course MS 150 that is a 75 mile out and back that runs from BFE, Idaho to Way Past BFE, Idaho. 2011 also welcomed a new member to Pro Bono.
A fellow Delta Chi and former EWU linebacker, Andy Castle brings good humor and good size to the team. He makes an excellent wind block. I hope you continue riding with us in the coming years Mr. Castle, because that stretch between Mt Vernon and Bellingham is always windy.
Much of the team could not attend due to previous engagements or family emergencies.
While it would have been great to have everyone along for the ride, sometimes life happens and that is understandable.
Mr. Castle and I decided to take it upon ourselves to complete all 150 miles on Saturday. We left the hotel room around 4:30 AM, only to find ourselves on a single lane dirt road waiting for Leatherface to hop in the back of the truck. Thanks for that Google Maps. Your sense of humor is stellar.
We ended up doubling back into town to have a look at a sign Andy had pointed out earlier. It very clearly said "TRAIL HEAD" in big letters. Maybe he oughta go work for Google Maps.
We rolled out in the blackness of the Tater Nation pre-dawn, onto a paved bike path that neither of us had every ridden. In true Delta fashion, we relied on small commuter head lights because we didn't want to tote around the extra weight of real headlights and battery packs for 150 miles.
Geniuses.
But, we rode until the sun came up without incident...save for the few times we almost crashed into each other and/or almost rode off the sides of the trail.
About an hour into the ride, we were passed by the only other 2 riders embarking on all 150 miles that day. They stopped ahead of us to take pictures of a bull moose grazing in the marsh next to the trail.
That would be the last time we saw them.
We made it to Mile 75, which was the starting line for the rest of the riders. We regrouped with Kristin and Shari, and hit the road for the ride back. Along the way, we picked up a solo rider looking to draft off big Andy. His name was Roger; a man on the far side of middle aged riding a neon green Kona Jake the Snake cyclocross bike who would not stop talking for the next 4 hours. Literally.
Other than some mild heat stroke, and Roger's incessant yapping, the second leg of the ride was without incident.
Upon our return to the BFE Indian Casino and Hotel, we attended a buffet style dinner where we promptly stuffed our empty stomachs while listening to the evening's speakers.
While most of the speakers were staff and/or volunteers for the MS Society, the speaker that got everyone's attention was a 20 year old kid who is the recipient of this year's MS Society scholarship.
Unfortunately I can't recall his name. :-(
Here is a kid who was diagnosed with MS as a teenager. As if being a teenager or being diagnosed with this mysterious illness isn't enough....no....this kid had both! Now, a sophomore at Montana, he is on his way to studying medicine....to help in MS research.
He received a standing ovation from the crowd and I think it was well deserved.
It was mentioned that Bike MS (MS 150) is the largest fundraising campaign run by the National MS Society. So far we've managed to raise $80MM for Multiple Sclerosis research and to help those living with MS.
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