Regular readers of Low Cadence know that each year since 2007, I have completed a ride in memory of Michael T. McCaskill. It has been my intention since the time of his passing from a brain tumor to ride an event in his memory each year. Those events have gotten ever more complicated over the years with the last two — a 740 mile ride in 7 days and a 220 mile ride in one day — being quite a physical and logistical undertaking! This brings us to 2012 and the status of this year’s ride.
As I finished last year’s event, I was already thinking of 2012 and beyond. It was — and is — my desire to start a foundation in Mike’s honor. The I Do It For Foundation would exist to provide support and tools for individuals and groups who want to show support to for individuals going through a trial. While I am supportive of groups such as Livestrong and other large organizations pooling resources to fight cancer, etc., I also see that sometimes it is easy for individual needs to get lost in the larger “corporate” focus.
It was what we were able to do for the family of little Rebekah Ellis during the 2011 Ride for Mike that really convinced me this could be a possibility! What if there were hundreds of people around the country who given the knowledge and tools would go out and create their own Ride for “Mike” or “Rebehkah” or “Steve” or “Holly”… you get the idea. These individuals would be able to receive direct encouragement and help for their immediate needs.
Sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it? It is. However, it isn’t always easy to pull something off like this. 2012 would be a busy year setting up the foundation and planning its first event. That event I had hoped would be a fund raising ride for the foundation in the Memphis, TN area.
Unfortunately, 2012 has been an interesting year for me with my time and my finances. The freedom I once had in these two areas has been curtailed a bit. The bottom line is that I have gotten behind in my plans for both the foundation and the Memphis ride. While I am still committed to taking steps to get the foundation underway in 2012, I do not believe we will be able to have an organized charity ride in 2012.
Tomorrow’s blog post will give you an explanation of part of my 2012 Ride for Mike goals. It is going to be a really short time frame! However, I hope some of you will be able to support me in the event. I think after you read the post, you will understand more why I am targeting this event.
I have not closed the door on a more “epic” ride in the fall of 2012. Do you have any ideas? In what way would you like to see me suffer? 
Also, as I take steps in my foundation, there are things I need to do. I am looking for help in these areas:
- Forming a board
- Forming a 501c3
- Branding materials for the foundation
- Programmers to help create an online tool that will be the key to the foundation
I’m sure the list will continue to grow. If you are interested in helping in any way, please contact me at lowcadence@pait.org. Be sure to read tomorrow’s post for the next steps in the 2012 Ride for Mike.
