Hopkins 4K for Cancer

June 23, 2004

Some novels for your perusal
Today was the first day when I really had a tough time with the riding. A headwind, tired legs and just flat out exhaustion knocked me down pretty solidly. Through the difficult ride, I never doubted whether I would finish today or not, but boy it seemed like the end of the ride would never come. I didn’t come through today alone, though. I made it to Pastor Schmidt’s Lutheran Church here in Fairbury, Nebraska in part because of the loving support of so many of the other riders on this trip. We have a wonderful bunch of people, who truly are compassionate folks, and as you can imagine that compassion can be a big help to everyone on the trip. So thank you to everyone for all of the help, support and hugs.

What really carried me through today though, was our mission. We ride in large part to spread HOPE in the fight against cancer. HOPE is a tremendously powerful ally both in the fight against cancer and in biking across the country. Today, riding with me was a man whom I am proud to call a friend. Ron S., one of the residents of the Hope Lodge in Baltimore whom we all came to know and to love the best was the angel on my shoulder and the person who kept my legs cranking today. Ron, through a strong headwind and hills (Kansas/Nebraska is not flat!) I thought of all of the time that we hung out, how much I wish you all the best and of the amazing courage which you have shown throughout your battle. Without sharing anything too personal, Ron has been battling cancer for about 2 years and recently received a bone marrow transplant. Through all of this treatment, Ron, your courage and how you handle all that it entails has been an inspiration. Well, today I can give you concrete evidence of the impact which you have had on me. You got me from Frankfort, Kansas to Fairbury, Nebraska. At the same time Ron, know that I am wishing you the best with all of my heart!

Oh and Karen! Karen, whenever I started getting frustrated with dragging my feet today I would just picture your smiling face! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I miss you Karen! Karen Seaberry is the manager of our Hope Lodge in Baltimore and is one of the sunniest, warmest people you will ever meet.

So, not all of today was tough. Once Phil had pulled me in to the church here in Fairbury, Pastor Schmidt had arranged for us to use the pool and facilities at Fairbury’s community recreation center. (Thank you very much Pastor Schmidt and the town of Fairbury for allowing us to use your beautiful facility!) The pool felt sooooo good! We then returned to the church and spent an AWESOMELY AMAZING dinner many members of the congregation here. This is the first time that the 4K has come to Fairbury, so I don’t think that we or they knew quite what to expect from eachother. Well, we hit it off! Everyone spent all of dinner, first dessert, second dessert, and third dessert talking with members of the congregation. What a spread! Personally I am about 3 pounds fatter than I was before dinner. We had ham, meatballs, several casseroles, and a bunch of awesome salads. WOOO these folks know how to do it right. And that’s without even talking about dessert. We had this awesome banana cream cake, strawberry shortcake, chocolate pie, snicker’s pie, chocolate cake, cherry oreo pie, and Jell-O. Needless to say, I tried it all!

Despite the awesome dinner, the best part of the meal was the company. After meeting the folks here in town and in our stops across the country, I can’t imagine a better place to raise a family than here in the Midwest! Further, we heard many of their stories about cancer. One was particularly poignant for me today. Mrs. Schmidt shared with us that her brother-in-law was diagnosed with lymphoma 8 years ago. After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, he received a stem cell transplant – a process which she described as being amazingly difficult. Once the cells were harvested, her brother-in-law, Galen had his cell counts brought down before his stem cells were returned to him. Unfortunately, 10 months later the lymphoma returned. However, 8 years later, Galen looks like Popeye (after spinach), tends cattle, and has been in remission ever since due to the drug interferon. Ron, hearing this story gave me all the HOPE in the world that no matter what happens, things will turn out awesome for you. I hope that it has the same meaning for you.

I definitely need to write more, but after a tough day today, I need to hit the hay. More to come later! This trip has definitely been more difficult than I would have thought as director, but with every difficulty, new ideas are popping up left and right for ways in which we can make this trip even better and to continue to grow in the future. WOOOHOOO 4K! Can you imagine how amazing this program will be in 10 years! (or even just 3-4??!!) Well, the congregation ‘kindly’ left the desserts out for us to snack on and… I just cannot resist. Bedtime Snack!

- Dan Witsil


I’m in Nebraska!

I’ve always wanted to call someone and be able to say that. Don’t really know why.

Nebraska has been kind to us so far. We arrived at the Grace Lutheran Church in Fairbury late this afternoon and were greeted by Pastor Schmidt and a pitcher of cold juice. (Not to mention a luxurious carpeted floor upon which we sprawled while waiting for the other riders. I’m becoming so accustomed to sleeping on floors that I’m afraid I’ll go home and pass out in the hallway or something. That should elicit some interesting reactions.) We were given free guest passes to the local health club, so we spent about an hour there splashing around in the pool and getting cleaned up. We had to have been a sight to see, especially in swimsuits. The girls in their bikinis look like they’re wearing a white wetsuit underneath, and the boys rarely even shed their spandex for swimming trunks. According to many, chlorine + spandex = clean. Don’t ask me how.

Back at the church, about twelve or fifteen congregation members showed up with a delicious potluck dinner for us. The dessert table was just as long as the dinner table. I just stood in front of strawberry shortcakes, brownies and lemon squares, and pondered where to start. Afterward ensued one of the best conversations I’ve had yet. A few of us sat at a table with Rachel and Dick, a couple belonging to the church, and discussed the Oregon Trail (we’ve been following it for the past few days), the history of the St. Louis Arch, and the Louis and Clark(e?) expedition. I also learned plenty about Nebraska and the route upon which we will embark tomorrow and the following days.

Right now it is 11:02 and I am absolutely exhausted. I’m going to end this short entry with a story about today. As we were moving along down highway 8, we passed a herd of cattle – about twenty or so. And as we slowed down to watch them, they started running alongside us. Now, perhaps this is the Northeasterner in me, but I didn’t even know that cows run. I thought that they just stood around eating grass and mooing. It was a beautiful sight, though – cattle are surprisingly graceful. As we passed the dividing line between that field and another, I turned to a friend and said, “It kind of makes me want to sing ‘Home on the Range.’” He looked confused, and as we passed a raccoon on the side of the road, he asked, “That makes you want to sing ‘Home on the Range?’”

Apparently, raccoons are universal road kill, coast to coast.

- Rebecca Shrago


Here’s a little more that I wanted to share. It’s the morning of the 24th and Pastor and Mrs. Schmidt are about to serve an amazing breakfast (definitely smell some bacon!!). I wanted to share an “Ode of thanks on this blustery day” that was posted in the van early yesterday.

Dear Sweet Wind,
Thank you for bringing quad saving oxygen to my flaring nostrils.
Thank you for keeping us cool as your gentle breezy fingers mop our sweaty brows.
Thank you for bringing sweet pollen to our nostrils, the scents reminding us of flower gardens at home.
Thank you for blowing butterflies by us and brightening our day with their festive cheery colors and happiness.
And wind, thank you for being our ever-present companion today and for the next 500 miles!

The Hopkins 4K for Cancer holds frequent powwows. A powwow is a meeting on the trip where we all sit in a circle and discuss our mission – to spread a message of hope and awareness in the fight against cancer. This discussion can range from meditation on how well we are achieving this goal, how we are achieving it, how kind everyone that we meet is, to the specific stories of HOPE, loss, courage, and early detection/prevention. Occasionally we also hold a parallel meeting (entirely separate) called gripe sessions where riders get to discuss disagreements with how the trip is working and what can be done to improve it for the immediate future on this trip. (NOTE: Despite the name, these have been amazingly positive – thank you riders!! You all rock!)

We held a powwow two nights ago in Frankfort and this powwow was very much on my mind all night and all through the ride yesterday. Among many other topics discussed, some riders brought up that they sometimes feared that our service does not meet, equal or surpass the kindness and assistance which the 4K receives. Certainly this is a question which addresses the heart of the 4K. Can we justify being blessed with an amazing experience and the pleasure of so much company? We also receive many “thank you’s” from many many folks along the road – and many times we want to reply and do by saying that it’s us that should be thanking those who have shown us so much kindness. So do we make a difference?

I believe that that is an emphatic YES! I believe whole heartedly in the mission of the 4K and that we do offer a substantial good to this country, all the while admitting that the 4K can still do soooo much more! I want to address just one part of the good that I believe that the trip offers. 4Kers have compassion for nearly all of the folks whom we meet. And I believe that the trip is a healing experience not just for all of us but also for many of the folks whom we meet and encourage to share their experiences with cancer. One of my favorite aspects of the 4K too is the time that we spend with cancer patients, whether at Hope Lodge or just folks that we meet along the route. These folks inspire us with their courage and I do believe that a smiling face and open compassion for their disease should help somewhat.

I ran across a passage in “There’s no place like Hope,” a book by cancer survivor Vicky Girard. She has a section in her book titled “Loved ones make an incredible difference” where she remembers the folks who helped her get through cancer. We read this passage at our morning meeting to in part remember the impact which loved ones can have on others – and I firmly believe and feel like a loved one towards and from nearly all of the folks whom we meet:

“Those of you who love us, we know there are times when you feel helpless. Please know that you never are, for your very presence brings us strength, and your love gives us reason to fight.

- You helped to place, to keep, and to guide my footsteps towards wellness.
- You came when my hair left.
- You sat with me on a bathroom floor and held me while I fell apart. We didn’t even talk much. You didn’t give me empty, “It will be okay’s” – thank you for that. You just held me. Then you helped me pick up the pieces with a gentleness I will never forget.
- You always drove.
- You came because I sounded like I needed you.
- When I forgot why I was fighting you reminded me.
- Once during raging fevers I asked you to tell me something good because I couldn’t remember anything good – and you took me on a mental trip to Copper Harbor that I will never forget.
- You offered to cut your hair.
- You not only let me cry – you cried with me.
- You dedicated and donated your bridal dance to help pay for my fight.
- You stopped to rest and said you were tired.
- You stood between me and the world.
- You called me every day.
- You took the time to write me a personal letter instead of calling. This enabled me to revisit your love and encouragement whenever I needed it. I still have it.
- When you had to fill my job, you called to reassure me that the replacement was only temporary.
- Mixed in with the bills that I had carried back to the hospital to pay, you slipped in a check. You did this at a time when you yourselves were paying for college and eating more macaroni and cheese than anybody should ever have to.
- You offered to refinance your house to pay for my fight. My God, what an offer!
- We held a benefit and you all came.
- You sold more raffle tickets than I ever thought possible.
- Your restaurant became ”free food” for my benefit.
- You both came to the hospital to be with us for my first test results – how brave, how loving. “

I truly believe that the 4K can offer some of the kindness which Ms. Girard details and I believe that that compassion can have a big impact. More to come on more of the service which the 4K offers.

- Dan Witsil (again)