Riding in tribute to Vic and Gen Albiero

July 13, 2017 - Netherlands - Today I'll be riding in tribute to:

FLASHBACK TUESDAY: Sanford & Sisters, Nook & Granny -De Funiak, FL

July 11, 2017 - Netherlands - Thought I'd share another flashback from one of my previous Amazing Ride for Alzheimers trips. - Judy

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De Funiak Springs, FL -  De Funiak Springs is about 75 miles east of Pensacola, Florida.

Running right along Highway 9,0 the small town of about 25,000 turns is a gem with homey storefronts and fantastic historic buildings.

The Hall of Brotherhood is a large white-domed building that sits on the west side of Lake De Funiak and across from the pinnacle-steepled First United Methodist Church on Circle Dr. and West Ave.  The building was finished in 1910 for $28,000 and features a 4,000 seat auditorium.

The hall was once home to the Chatauqua Institution, founded in 1847 in western New York State as a vacation school for Sunday School teachers. The idea was to provide a retreat and improve religious and secular education for the general public.

The effort spread rapidly across the nation and in 1885 opened in De Funiak Springs. By the 20th century the national movement declined and the Florida chapter closed in 1920.

The Hall of Brotherhood was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

In 1975 a hurricane destroyed the auditorium wing and severely damaged the rest of the structure. Since then, there's been an ongoing program to fully restore the building.

Scattered throughout De Funiak Springs are small shops with character.

The Little Big Store is a general merchantile located on a quiet side street. A sign in the window reads 'homemade lye soap' and there are tin toys that line the windowsill.

There's the Busy Bee Cafe and the Little Big Store; a general merchantile located on a quiet side street. A sign in the window reads 'homemade lye soap' and there are tin toys that line the windowsill.

There are a handful of antique shops including Nook and Granny, and Sanford & Sisters Mall and Tea Room which sits along Hwy 90.

Sanford & Sisters looks like it would be in the National Register, or at least half the items sitting out front of the store do, as the front of the building is piled with an eclectic mix of items; sort of a cross between a rummage sale and garbage day.

There're brightly painted old farm tools, racks of wooden fishing poles, and a pair of rusty bikes.

Other items include wicker chairs that have seen better days, a stack of tiki torches, and a pyramid of old gas cans framed by the mantle of a fireplace.

Up the street is the Corner Cafe. The hometown diner is a simple square building.. Inside tables are covered with red and white checkered plastic tablecloths.

I sit down at a table with four old men; they are busy solving the hot topics of the day, including the value of AAA, whether it's better to pay with cash or credit, and where the police were headed with their siren last night.

"If you're going to sit here, you better hang on and buckle up," said Tyrone. He was the self-proclaimed director of the group.

Tyrone had to be in his early 70s. He wore a blue gray mechanics shirt with his name printed on a white patch sewn on the right-hand pocket. His shirt was unbuttoned way too low and a big tuft of curly old man hair filled the gap.

Everybody at the table had a pocket protector stuffed with pens and a case for their sunglasses. I felt a bit out of uniform.

"I can build you an airplane, I can build you a train but I can't figure out my wife's rose bushes," said Tyrone in a very loud voice.

Matter of fact, everybody at the table talked loud. The kicker came when Tyrone fielded a phone call. It was like when we were kids using a walkie talkie. He held the phone in front of his face and yelled into it and then looked at it when the person on the other end yelled back.

It was like we were on the party line with the operator. Worse yet, the woman on the other end apparently misdialed - yet she and Tyrone carried on for five, long, painful minutes anyway.

There were no secrets at this table, much less at the Corner Cafe.

"Your legs hurt after a day of biking?" asked Tyrone after he turned off his phone and shoved it in his front pocket.

I started to tell him 'not much' but Tyrone was already onto his own leg pain and how he came home one day and his wife had "found a water bed."

"I says, I'm not sleeping in that lake."

Tyrone then went into graphic detail about his nightly leg pain, the shaking, and how he'd be pulling in his wife's hair because his leg tremors were so out of control.

Yes, there was an actual reenactment at the table. Tyrone got so into it we all had to grab out ice water and coffee cups for fear he'd kick them over.

As I wrapped up breakfast and walked to my bike to leave, Tyrone followed me out the door.

"See all these political signs," said Tyrone - who was never at a loss for conversation. "That's for school board. I told one candidate she should take the TV show test and if she was smarter than a fifth grader - then I'd vote for her."

Tyrone was still talking as I rode away; although I'm being kind - my fifth-grade teacher would call it yammering. I really hate to leave De Funiak Springs.

Odds 'n ends from Sanford & Sisters..

 Me in front of the Hall of Brotherhood (below)

Touring the seminary with Thea

June 28, 2017 - Leiden, Holland - Thea, who once lived in  Philadelphia but returned to Holland, said she remembered when there was a festival in Warmond and all the priests walked around town in black robes. 

Thea managed to talk our way into the neighboring senior rehab and an administrator opened the old seminary chapel so we could take a look. (See video)

Off to work today in Holland

June 27, 2017 - Netherlands - Off to work today in Holland. 

Leaving Lisse after 22 miles out of Amsterdam on Monday and a wonderful stay with Eduard and Marthy at Bed & Rest - De Dahlia. A beautiful house with energetic neighbor boys, Sam and Simon. 

VIDEO | Simon and Sam

June 26, 2017 - Netherlands - Simon and Sam found me. The pair were up to no good summertime shenanigans. Digging a tunnel to China next to a covered bike port where I was taking a rest. 

Eventually, after chucking rocks onto the roof and making honking noises at the entry, they were brave enough to come in and try to have a chat. 

I found interesting, even with the language differences, some of the things we had in common, and their genuine "kid" sense of humor. 

What resonates internationally with children? Try starting with Frozen and Star Wars. 

I got a kick at how hilarious Sam found my name. 

Amazing Ride for Alzheimer's Launches June 21

The annual Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s bicycle tour will head to New Mexico. I will fly out June 21 with my bicycle to Albuquerque, head northwest to Shiprock and then pedal home. I’m calling it ‘vacation.’

Once again, a huge thanks to Tim Schmidt and USCCA for stepping forward as the primary sponsor of the tour. “I believe in you, Judy, and I believe what you’re riding for is so important,” Schmidt said.

The Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s hopes to clear $100,000 this year. All donations stay local and help support music and exercise activities at Cedar Community in West Bend.   ~Judy

Thanking sponsor Thrivent Financial

 

Thrivent Financial is one of the primary sponsors of the Amazing Ride for Alzheimer's and they will be hosting a Fish Fry Fundraiser on Friday, May 16 at Washington County Fair Park. Money raised will benefit the Volunteer Center’s Youth Volunteer Initiative which kicks off this summer with Camp Superhero. Tickets can be purchased at the Volunteer Center, Washington County Fair Park, Glacier Hills Credit Union, Cedar Community, WBKV-WBMI, WTKM or online at volunteernow.net  

I will be volunteering at the event and have my touring bike on display LOADED with gear. I'll also be available for questions AND hope to unveil this year's tour jersey. See you Friday. The event starts at 4 p.m.

Thanks for the support!

Received a nice donation today from Patrick Madden of the Madden Vanderloop Law Firm S.C. To date I've raised a little over $25,000 for Alzheimer's activities at Cedar Community. Other primary donors include USCCA, Wiedmeyer Trucking, Helen Reinke and Thrivent Financial. There are still two sponsorship spaces left to fill on this year's jersey -- and time is running out as we should go to layout and print before the end of March. Give a shout if you'd like to join in the effort on this year's Amazing Ride for Alzheimer's as I bicycle from Nova Scotia to Wisconsin.

Below is one of my favorite photos from my Germany tour in 2008.

                                                                               

                                                                         

Next tour - on the moon?

When I was touring in Germany in 2008 I stayed with a woman who lived in Prien am Chiemsee - about 65 miles outside Munich. She pulled me out of a cemetery as I was setting up my tent for the night. Christiane was a former flight attendant - back when stewardesses wore hats and white gloves and you could smoke on the plane. I remember she set me up with a flat in Munich a day before I flew out - it was her grandfather's place, overlooking the Englischer Garten. Christiane said, "If I ever hear of someone bicycling on the moon - I'll know it's you."

                                                                              

Seth Rogen fights for Alzheimer's research

It's official: Nova Scotia to Wisconsin

Hundreds in attendance today at Cedar Ridge for big announcement.
                                                                               

Me and my dad, Al Steffes, posing with the tour logo and primary sponsor for this year's Amazing Ride for Alzheimer's. Behind the scenes my mother is taking the picture with my iPhone. I told her to take several shots. After the first she stopped and looked at the camera. "How do I wind it forward?"  Isn't it fun when grandma learns newfangled stuff.

                                                                       

A HUGE thanks to Helen Reinke, a 20-year resident at Cedar Ridge. She donated $10,000 to the tour. Sooooooooo GENEROUS! Helen hoped her gift would encourage others to support the ride. I told Helen I'd knock out 10,000 military push ups before I left and I'd dedicate them to her. Helen was touched. "You're crazy - but do what you want."

Primary sponsor secured for Amazing Ride for Alzheimer's

For the second year in a row USCCA has agreed to come along for the ride.
                                                                               

Last week I threw out an email blast to a dozen corporations in the Washington County area in an attempt to secure a primary $10,000 sponsor for this year's bicycle tour from Nova Scotia to Wisconsin. In less than 15 minutes Tim Schmidt, founder and president of the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, responded. "I'm in," said Schmidt.  "I just really like what the ride stands for, the fact you work to give back to the community and that the money benefits a local organization."

Schmidt and the USCCA were primary sponsors for last year's Ride 2 Remember in Alaska which raised $20,000 for Alzheimer's activities at Cedar Community. That money was later matched for a total of $40,000.

This year Cedar Ridge resident Helen Reinke offered a generous $10,000 match in an effort to encourage a primary sponsor to step to the plate. An official announcement regarding this year's tour will be made during an event Thursday, Jan. 30 at Cedar Ridge. 

I can't say enough how much I appreciate the strong early show of support from Tim and Helen; their generosity is truly amazing.  More good news ahead.  Stay tuned! 

Big announcement - 2014 tour details coming next week

There's a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes as I prep for my 2014 three-week bicycle tour.
                                                                             

Coming up Thursday more details will be announced for this year's Amazing Ride for Alzheimer's. Sponsor letters are going out as we speak. A list of sponsor levels is posted below.

And take a look at this year's biking logo - created and donated by the extremely talented Michael Albiero. There is a clue in the graphic regarding this year's destination. Can you figure it out before next week?

My goal in the next 7 days is to find a primary sponsor for the front and back of this year's jersey. There's already a generous donation of a $10,000 match on the table. It would be great to unveil YOUR company logo along with the tour logo on the same day. My contact info is below.

Spread the word - - the big day is drawing near!

                                                                      

                                                                               

Sponsorship Opportunities

All proceeds benefit the Memory Care Program at Cedar Community

$10,000 +                     Yellow Jersey  Top prize at Tour de France

ŸCorporate logo on front and back of bicycling jersey ŸOfficial website with “Photo of the Day” and link to sponsors’ websiteŸEvent posters, press releases and email blastsŸOpportunity to provide company promotional banner for display during public appearancesŸPromotional mention during media interviews and announcementsŸRecognition in newspaper/radio/social media thanking all sponsorsŸWeekly personal postcard from the roadŸMotivational speaking engagement at your business or organization before and after the rideŸComplimentary Amazing Ride for Alzheimer's bicycling jerseyŸRecognition on the “Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s” blog

$7,500 - $9,999             Wheelie  Lifting the front wheel of the bicycle in the air

ŸCorporate logo on bicycling jersey ŸWeekly personal postcard from the roadŸMotivational speaking engagement at your business and organization before and after the rideŸComplimentary Ride 2 Remember bicycling jerseyŸRecognition on the “Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s” blog

$5,000 - $7,499             Cadence  Pace at which you ride – general steadiness

ŸCorporate logo on bicycling jersey ŸWeekly personal postcard from the roadŸMotivational speaking engagement at your business or organization before and after the rideŸRecognition on the “Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s” blog

 $2,500 - $4,999            Wheel and Sprocket  Primary gears and parts of a bike  

ŸCorporate logo on bicycling jersey ŸWeekly personal postcard from the roadŸRecognition on the “Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s” blog

 $1,000 - $2,499             Chain Gang   Repair crew

ŸCorporate logo on bicycling jerseyŸPersonal postcard from the roadŸRecognition on the “Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s” blog

$500 - $999                   Pelaton   The large main group in a bicycle road race

ŸPersonal postcard from the roadŸRecognition on the “Amazing Ride for Alzheimer’s” blog

$100 - $499                   Fans 

ŸPersonal thank you letter.

Contact Judy Steffes for more information at 262-334-4526 or judyharley@yahoo.com

Ground blessing for new memory-care complex

WEST BEND - Jim Williams, Director of Operations at Cedar Community, mixes soil from each of the Cedar Community campuses during a blessing of the ground ceremony held this week at the Paul Ducharme farm. 

The half-hour, outdoor ceremony marked the beginning of the development of Cottages at Cedar Run, a 60 apartment assisted living memory-care complex located south of Cedar Ridge and bordered by Ridge Run County Park. 

Rev. Kathryn Kuhn gave the Prayer of Blessing and then members of Cedar Community and the Foundation offered words about the soils from Cedar Landing that invite us “to trust and persevere” and the good earth from the grounds of Cedar Crossing that “yield greater good to all.”

Some in attendance included Cedar Community resident Marilyn Zimmerman, Dale Pauls – President of Cedar Community Corporate Board of Directors, Dan Davis with C.G. Schmidt, and Honorary Chairpersons Doug and Sharon Ziegler.

“This is one of the best things that’s happened in a long time,” said Sharon Ziegler, praising the development.  “This memory-loss facility puts us up on the next tier as a community,” she said. “It’s a beautiful setting, people will have sun rooms and they’ll be able to look out onto nature. The Cedar Community Foundation Board is a class act with all the research they’ve done on what these people will need.”

Debra Meinert’s family knows firsthand the demands of caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s. Her mother is 88 years old and a resident at Cedar Community’s Friendship House, an Alzheimer’s-Dementia unit on Highway Z.

 “My mother lived in the big six bedroom farmhouse for 68 years and it was very hard for us to move her there but the stimulation, love and care she receives is just wonderful,” said Meinert.

“Our prayer now is when the Cottages open mom can be part of that.”

Construction of the Cottages at Cedar Run will be in two phases with a pair of 20-unit buildings completed in summer 2014; the final 20-unit building will be finished depending on market demand.

                                                      Cottages at Cedar Run

The general contractor is CG Schmidt of Milwaukee and the architect is Plunkett Raysich of Milwaukee. The estimated cost of the project is $13 million; a philanthropy campaign is underway to raise approximately $3.7 million for programming.

West Bend wheelchair racer safe after Boston

Trey Roy inspires me.

                                                         Photo courtesy Illinois Wheelchair Athletics


WEST BEND - The mother of 2012 West Bend East High School graduate Trey Roy is still trying to wrap her head around reality in the aftermath of Monday’s tragedy in Boston.

Chris Roy’s son Trey was one of the wheelchair racers at the Boston Marathon.

“He called me as soon as he got home, 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, to his dorm at the University of Illinois,” said Chris Roy. With a long pause, a deep breath and a sigh she continued. “It’s the first time I actually got to talk to him.”

Trey Roy, 19, is a freshman and the youngest member of the Illini Wheelchair Athletics Program. He, along with 14 of his teammates, were in Boston.

In a marathon the wheelchair division typically starts the 26.2-mile race well before the runners. Trey Roy finished in a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 14 seconds. He was off the course by 11:30 a.m. and at the Sheraton Hotel restaurant, two blocks from the finish line, eating lunch when he first heard the news.

“I didn’t feel any of the percussion but the restaurant manager came on the P.A. and said there was criminal activity on the street and I saw countless ambulance and fire trucks racing past,” he said.

                                          Trey with H.S. coach Rick Smith in 2010

“As soon as people started texting I knew it was a big deal and so I immediately started texting my family to tell them I was OK.”

Back in Wisconsin, Chris Roy watched the race via a broadcast on the Internet; she had taken her personal computer to work.

“Not much of the wheelchair race was shown,” she said. “They did have live updates so I could at least keep track of where he was and how he was doing,” she said.

By 10:30 a.m., Chris Roy turned off her computer. “I had blown two hours of work time and I had to help at the front desk from 2:30-3:30 p.m.”

Chris Roy said she didn’t know about the explosions until she returned to her office later that afternoon and saw several voicemails from her husband.

“First thing he tells me is that Trey’s OK and then he said there had been explosions and I kind of lost it,” she said.

“It was almost like I didn’t hear the part that he was OK, because even if he’s OK, it’s complete chaos and you don’t know if there’s more bombs and he’s still there in the city; it’s just very frightening.”

Chris Roy immediately began working her cellphone. “The service was so bad, we just kept texting. He was pretty worked up and scared too, although he wouldn’t admit that to me,” she said.

Although the family was back home, Trey Roy was with his coach Adam Bleakney.

“I was just sending the team an email thanking them for their cooperation, being patient and responsive,” Bleakney said Tuesday afternoon.

After receiving word of the tragedy, the team pulled together in the lobby of the hotel and Bleakney told them not to move. “I wanted to be ready to go immediately when we got a sense we’d be able to catch a shuttle and get to the airport,” he said.

A tweet from @IlliniWCA was posted within an hour of the incident: “Awaiting a final confirmation, but it appears that all of the members of the elite wheelchair division are accounted for following the 2013 Boston Marathon. Our thoughts and prayers to all involved.”

The team’s departure flight out of Logan International Airport to Chicago O’Hare wasn’t until 9:30 p.m. Monday. Bleakney credited his support staff for helping with logistics and gear, considering every athlete travels with their personal wheelchair and a racing wheelchair.

Trey Roy was still in his dorm room around noon, feeling “totally drained both physically and emotionally.”

“I’m not too sore, but that was a tough course and I have no energy,” Trey Roy said.

Questioned about the impact of the bombing, Trey Roy said, “I really can’t watch it (on television) because it’s scary-strange for me.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people affected by the bombing; I hope Boston recovers quickly.”

At home in the town of Jackson, Chris Roy took off a half day from work — still numb with the news.

“I take it the worst,” said Chris Roy. “I’m the one that’s been sitting in the hospital with him through all of his surgeries and we have a pretty tight bond. I just take these things worse than everybody else.”

Asked whether the family had plans to go to Champaign, Ill., Chris Roy said no, but, “I expect we will be making some sort of trip this weekend. Mom needs a hug.”

West Benders will remember Trey Roy at 16 as a sophomore taking home three first-place medals in 2010 during the WIAA State Track and Field Tournament in La Crosse. The West Bend Common Council and Mayor Kris Deiss issued a resolution recognizing Trey Roy for his accomplishments that season.