The Story behind Mike's Ride for Make-A-Wish

Hi! My name is Mike Reiners and from June 1-30, I am riding 3000 miles on my bicycle.  Why?  To make it possible for at least 14 Nebraska kids with some type of life-threatening medical condition, children living with fear, pain and uncertainty, to be granted their dream wish through Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska.  Receiving a dream wish brings joy, strength and hope to children and also their families.  And that is the simple but powerful mission of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska: “We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.”  http://nebraska.wish.org/ 

First ride with my new Make-A-Wish ride jersey.

Back of the jersey.  Cool huh?

Now, let me give you some background.  I grew up on a farm outside of McCook and my wife of 29 years is from Lincoln.  We live in Grand Island, have two wonderful children and have lived in this great state for all but 6 years of our lives.  So, our roots in Huskerland go very deep.  I also find it very rewarding to help people, a big reason I've been a Lutheran pastor for 23 years.  

Mike fitting a free helmet at a "Bike Repair Day"

I enjoy travel, history and geography.  And of course I love to cycle!  The Ride in June brings all of these passions together to further the mission of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska. 

A satisfied customer!

Since 1983, they have granted Wishes to over 1800 Nebraska children.  It is a proven fact that Wishes fill children and their families with hope, strength and joy, which in turn helps them endure some difficult and painful experiences in life.  


I learned that first hand on March 28, visiting with a family whose son, Bret, was granted a Wish 2 ½ years ago.  (Click on the "Meeting Bret" page above for the whole story.)  As a second grader, Bret underwent 8 months of chemo treatments for Leukemia at Children’s Hospital in Omaha.  I specifically asked him what his Wish (a swimming pool in his back yard) meant to him. 

Mike and Bret

This 5th grade boy looked me right in the eye and said it made him really happy to know he and his friends would fun together in his swimming pool after his treatments were over.  I thought, "Wow!  He wasn't dwelling on disease or death.  His mind was filled with dreams of fun times with his friends in his pool from Make-A-Wish!"  That’s what gave him hope and helped him get through 8 months away from home, family, friends and classmates while he battled for his life in a hospital in Omaha.  And THAT is the kind of hope I want to give to at least 14 Nebraska children with life-threatening medical conditions.  

Another reason I’m riding is to honor my niece, Heather Gideon.  In May of 2007, she was diagnosed with triple negative stage 4 breast cancer.  She was given 1 to 4 years to live.  Heather lost a courageous battle with cancer when she was called home to Heaven on February 27, 2010.  

Matt, Heather and their children

She was a creative, out-going, remarkable young lady who touched the lives of hundreds of people all over the country, before, during and even after her struggle with cancer.   

Well, early in 2009, a number of generous people in Wood River, NE (where Heather and her family lived) pooled resources and in May of that year sent Heather and Matt and their four children (currently ages 12, 10, 8, and 6) on a family trip to Disney World in Orlando.  These incredible friends arranged and paid for their airplane tickets, food, entrance into the parks, and motel accommodations.  Matt has told me how incredibly enriching this dream trip was for them and how the pictures and memories of that gift of time together “gave them strength” as her cancer worsened.  These were joy-filled memories that cancer could not take away from them. 

Now, I’m also riding because I love to ride, love to meet new people and relish the chance to cycle in new parts of the state.  It will be a awesome adventure!  I seldom feel more alive and filled with energy and ideas than when I’m out cycling in the sun on a summer day!  Plus, I love to write and to give other people joy through laughter and humor.  Planning and doing this ride will give me all this and more.

However, those are secondary reasons.  My primary reason for riding is to raise funds to help others.  Few things bring me greater joy than helping someone else.  I’m told that the average cost of granting a Wish is $7,500.  So, my goal is to raise enough funds to make a Dream Wish come true for at least 14 Nebraska kids living with a life-threatening medical condition.  Knowing their Wish will bring some hope, strength and joy is all the push I need to ride for them.

TO DONATE NOW to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska, please go to https://secure.wish.org/ourfriends/018-000/mikeridesforwishes.htm.  Please check out the Wish Story while you are there!

OR, if you choose to mail in a check, please make it out to "Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska" and mail it to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska, Inc. 11926 Arbor Street, #102, Omaha, NE 68144.  Please indicate that it's for Mike's Make-A-Wish Ride so it can be counted in the total. 



Other reasons for The Ride

I listed some secondary reasons above, and these are important to me as well.  I really do enjoy meeting new people and appreciate the gracious hospitality and down-to-earth friendliness of Nebraskans.  I am amazed by the connections we have with each other.  No matter what county we come from or live in, it’s typical to run into someone we've never met before and still be able to figure out a person we both know.  That is cool!  So, I truly look forward to meeting new people and making new friends.  I also hope to meet some Wish children (and their families) along the way.  Those will be highlight moments for me.  

My love for history, travel, geography and cycling are also reasons for The Ride.  I'm a "history geek" who stops at all the Historical Marker signs (for a list of Historical markers in Nebraska go to http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/markers/texts/).  I will be posting daily reports on this blog when the ride starts.  They will include brief histories of all 93 Nebraska counties (as I pass through them), funny cycling quotes, my "Spin-Home Wisdom" stories on different cycling related topics (See "Why Tandems and Snot DON'T Mix" posted on S-H W page above), the names of people who helped me that day or whom I met, weather reports and highways I'll be on for the next day, how many dogs chased me, flat tires, etc.  You'll see the world through the eyes of a cyclist.   
 
I look forward to sharing with you the people I meet, the places I see, and the things I learn on this adventure!  So, please forward this link to your family, friends, co-workers, classmates and neighbors.  Share it with everyone on your Facebook page, and ask them to pass it on as well: "mikes-make-a-wish-ride.blogspot.com" 

I must also add one additional motive for this ride: the "male DNA" factor.  It's pretty natural for boys to look up at a huge tree, squint one eye and say, “Hey, let's climb to the top of that!”  It's just part of who we are as guys.  I’ve completed several multi-day rides in Nebraska and Colorado.  On one of those rides I covered 100 miles four days in a row.  I’ve also done a couple one day rides of 200+ miles, but hey, 3000 miles is the distance from Los Angeles, CA to Boston, MA!  I’ve never tackled a challenge THAT big.  And that's exactly why it appeals to me.  ‘Nuff said!  

The REAL Reason for The Ride

Having given all the aforementioned reasons, I want to state clearly the REAL reason for this ride.  I am a baptized child of God, a follower of Jesus Christ, and to put it simply, I have been saved to serve others.  Jesus came to earth to die on the Cross in my place, to forgive my sins and gift me with the promise of eternal life with Him in Heaven.  He also fills my life today with blessings, including the ability to plan and organize things, a joy from meeting new people, as well as years of experience and passion for cycling.  This Ride is a unique way to use all these gifts to serve others.  So, if my riding and your generosity makes it possible for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska to bring hope, strength and joy to at least 14 Nebraska kids by making their dream wish a reality, then nothing can bring me greater satisfaction!  

The Route for the Ride:

THE ROUTE

On a Nebraska map locate Grand Island, the county seat for Hall County.  I'm going to leave from the front steps of the county courthouse at 8:00 am on June 1.  I head north out of GI, to St. Paul and then loop back and forth through NE Nebraska.  You can follow it around to SE Nebraska, up to Omaha, then west through Papillion, Lincoln, Seward, York, Aurora and finally back home to GI on June 30.   In my daily reports, I'll be giving names of towns that I will either be going through or passing by on the following day.  If I'm in your area and you see me (I'll be wearing my Make-A-Wish jersey), please honk, wave or pull along side and say hi! 

Where I'm staying at night - Host Homes:

Assuming nothing unexpected messes up my schedule (what could POSSIBLY happen??), here are the towns I will be staying in each night, and with whom (or where) I'll be staying.  I am very grateful for their hospitality!  

DATE:        TOWN:                               HOSTS:

June 1 -       Central City                      Kevin/Amy McReynolds   

June 2 -       Fremont                           Eric/Brenda Gerken                       

June 3 -       Stanton                            John/Cathy Doggett

June 4 -       Bartlett                            Randy/Lisa McCain

June 5 -       Wayne                             Carl/Darlene Lilienkamp

June 6 -       Hartington                        Hillcrest Motel (paid by M/M "Shorty" Hahn)

June 7 -       O'Neill                             Jeff/Mary Jo Peterson

June 8 -       Valentine                         Doug/Sandy Jacobs

June 9 -               (rest day)                 Doug/Sandy Jacobs

June 10 -     Brewster                          Uncle Buck's Lodge (complimentary stay)
                     (http://www.unclebuckslodge.com/contacts.html)

June 11 -     Loup City                         Colony Inn Motel                   

June 12 -     North Platte                     Todd/Tammy Hlavaty (my cousin and her husband)

June 13 -     Mullen                              Glidden Sandhills Motel (complimentary stay)

June 14 -     Hyannis                            Andy Safarik

June 15 -     Alliance                           Greg/Lisa Carter

June 16 -     Chadron                          Cameron/Jaci Cuttlers

June 17 -     Gering/Scottsbluff            Lonnie/Janet Miller

June 18 -     Kimball                            Kenneth Mars

June 19 -     Ogallala                            Terry/Gwen Johnson

June 20 -     Benkelman                        Dallas/Kelly Watkins

June 21 -     McCook                           Jim/Wendy Reiners (my parents)

June 22 -             (rest day)                 Jim/Wendy Reiners

June 23 -     Arapahoe                         Janice Breinig/Jennifer Blake

June 24 -     Kearney                           Don/Jackie Liess (my sister/brother in law)

June 25 -     Hastings                            Josh Davis                          

June 26 -     Fairbury                            Chuck/Brenda Schmidt               

June 27 -     Tecumseh                         John Diener

June 28 -     Nebraska City                    Todd/Susan Benton

June 29 -     Lincoln                              Kevin/Irene Reiners (my brother/sister in law)

June 30 -     Grand Island and home-sweet-home!   WOO-HOO!!



SAG Drivers:

Another thing you can help me with is lining up SAG (Support and Gear) drivers.  A sag vehicle carries everything the cyclist needs: food, water, supplies, suitcase, gear, etc.  They typically drive 10 miles ahead and then pull over and let the rider catch up.  The rider stops, gets whatever he/she needs, then takes off.  The sag driver then drives another 10 miles (or to some agreed upon site or town) and waits for the rider, etc.  This is helpful, especially where there are not many towns along the way.  In some cases, folks are simply driving my stuff to the next town.  That too is greatly appreciated.  My thanks to all of you!!

DATE:        TOWN:                                            SAG driver:

June 1 -       Grand Island to Central City            Kevin McReynolds                 

June 2 -       Central City to Fremont                 Kevin McReynolds

June 3 -       Fremont to Stanton                       Jeanie Holtmeier/Denise Hummel             

June 4 -       Stanton to Bartlett                        Jeanie Holtmeier/Denise Hummel

June 5 -       Bartlett to Wayne                         Harry Eckerson/Paul Siebert               

June 6 -       Wayne to Hartington                     Harry Eckerson/Paul Siebert

June 7 -       Hartington to O'Neill                     Harry Eckerson/Paul Siebert

June 8 -       O'Neill to Valentine                       Nia and LeAnn Karmann

June 9 -                 (rest day)                               no sag needed

June 10 -     Valentine to Brewster                    Terry/Ann Hoffman

June 11 -     Brewster to Loup City                    Tom and Lynda Tambling

June 12 -     Loup City to North Platte               Barry and Colleen Schochenmaier    

June 13 -     North Platte to Mullen                    Kirk Shuck

June 14 -     Mullen to Hyannis                           Kirk Shuck

June 15 -     Hyannis to Alliance                         Tim Wegenast

June 16 -     Alliance to Chadron                        Tim Wegenast

June 17 -     Chadron to Scottsbluff                    Diane Meier/Connie Moeller

June 18 -     Scottsbluff to Kimball                     Diane Meier/Connie Moeller

June 19 -     Kimball to Ogallala                         Sally Harris

June 20 -     Ogallala to Benkelman                    Blake Edwards

June 21 -     Benkelman to McCook                    Friday Amack

June 22 -               (rest day)                                no sag needed

June 23 -     McCook to Arapahoe                       Jennifer Blake

June 24 -     Arapahoe to Kearney                       Jennifer Blake

June 25 -     Kearney to Hastings                         Emil Stichka

June 26 -     Hastings to Fairbury                         Emil Stichka

June 27 -     Fairbury to Tecumseh                      Doug/Carolyn Wetzel

June 28 -     Tecumseh to Nebraska City              Doug/Carolyn Wetzel

June 29 -     Nebraska City to Lincoln                  Kevin Reiners              

June 30 -     Lincoln to Grand Island (and HOME!)   Kevin Reiners

OTHER ways you can help:

I also expect to have people riding with me for awhile in different places along the way.  If you would be interested in doing that, get some pledges for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska, come out, ride for awhile, collect your pledges and then send them in for the Ride.  I'll have envelopes along for that purpose.  If you just want to come out and ride, that's fine too.

If you live in one of the towns where I will be spending the evening (or even passing through during the day), perhaps you can organize a community fund/fun-raising event for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska.  It could be a spaghetti or pancake feed, a bake sale, or something else.  Perhaps your church could have a door-offering.  Just be creative and have fun with it.  That's how I am approaching this entire ride!

 
And naturally, I ask you to consider making a donation, and inviting your family, friends and neighbors to do the same.  You can wait until the ride OR go ahead and make a donation today.  Perhaps you could pass this around at your workplace for your co-workers and others.  It's very easy to use the "donate now" page that has been set up.  Just click on the link below and follow the instructions.  

TO DONATE NOW, please go to https://secure.wish.org/ourfriends/018-000/mikeridesforwishes.htm.  Please check out the Wish Story while you are there!

 IF you choose to mail in a check, please make it out to "Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska" and mail it to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska, Inc. 11926 Arbor Street, #102, Omaha, NE 68144.  Please indicate that it's for Mike's Make-A-Wish Ride so it can be counted in the total.  Thank you for your generosity, as well as your prayers and support!