OCTOBER WAS BUSY

October has been an exciting and interesting month. First, let’s talk about the obvious thing so you understand my feelings about the news that has been on every news channel around the world...LANCE ARMSTRONG! I have my personal feelings about Lance and you may or may not share the same feelings but those feelings. The news was about him as a cyclist and the choices he may have made or did not make. I don’t know what happened. I wasn’t there and I don’t truly understand the pressures of having to compete at that level and what’s asked of you everyday. What I do understand is that he IS a cancer survivor! He and his foundation have made a difference in the lives of millions around the world. I will always proudly wear my yellow wristband until there is no longer a need because cancer has been cured. I will continue to support LIVESTRONG as they help those affected by cancer, their families and friends. I hope you will join me! I have included a video, set to music, so you can see what LIVESTRONG has done for millions since it began http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tENdDtkJX5E&feature=youtu.be.

Now, for the Luke’s 5-Line Ride...it was an amazing event! Our biggest hurdle was the weather which we couldn’t control. We woke up Saturday morning to bitter cold, rain and fog. Although the weather was crummy the spirit of our riders couldn’t be dampened. We went out, did the best we could to stay warm and dry and had a blast doing it! The community support was amazing, especially Felt Schools. They moved their Power Stop to their basketball gym and we were greeted by a cheering crowd and Felt cheerleaders. The gym was all decorated and we had a nice warm, dry place to eat some lunch, then get back on the road! After the ride, we had a great time back at camp with music by The Dizzy Pickers, a fabulous meal and some even enjoyed the beer donated by Black Mesa Brewing Co. We all had a super time! We are already planning for next year and are seeking a corporate sponsor so we can even make it even bigger!

During the concert by The Dizzy Pickers we drew the name of our raffle winner, John Otjen! Congratulations to John on winning the Trek LIVESTRONG FX! He told us he was giving it to his mom to help her with the rehab of her recent knee surgery! I know she’ll love it!

Luke & John

 As you know, my goal this year was to raise $20,000. I didn’t reach that goal but was still really happy to have raised $10,114! I have now raised over $21,000 in the past three years for LIVESTRONG. I also qualified for the Ride for the Roses for the second year in a row. I participated in that event this past weekend in Austin. It was a blast to see all my LIVESTRONG friends I have met over Twitter, Facebook and last year Challenge. We attended the 15 year LIVESTRONG Gala on Friday night, dinner at Lance Armstrong’s on Saturday and then rode 65 miles on Sunday! When I crossed the finish line I hugged my mom and told her that I did this for Poppy! I actually put so many names this year on the LIVESTRONG Tribute Wall and I rode carrying all of them with me! I was honored to be able to ride side-by-side with many survivors as well as those, who like me, had lost someone they loved or honoring those still in the middle of the fight! This is what LIVESTRONG is about...community, family, support!

Brad, Jennifer, mom & me

Lance & Luke 2012

Caner Warriors Scott Joy, Steve Bartolucci, me & Brad Didier

 If you get a chance go to our website and see our picture gallery from our ride http://lukes5line.com.

Thank you to all of you who have supported me in 2012 or in the past. I will continue to fight for those who are in need! The funds I raised will be used to help support LIVESTRONG services. These services include, but are not limited to, call-in cancer information line, survivorship planning tools, alliance of young adult cancer organizations, LIVESTRONG at School program, and now, an on-site patient navigation service (walk-in, for under-served and those without insurance), information classes and webinars, so thank you as you are truly part of making a difference in people’s lives.

I hope I can count on your continued support in 2013!

August UPDATE

I am excited to tell you all the things that have been going on! First, let’s talk about Lance Armstrong and my stand!

 

YES...I SUPPORT LIVESTRONG! YES...I SUPPORT LANCE ARMSTRONG! YES...LANCE WILL ALWAYS BE MY HERO FOR MORE THAN HIS ACHIEVEMENTS ON A BIKE. HE'S HELPED MILLIONS OF PEOPLE FACING CANCER. DON'T BE A HATER UNTIL YOU'VE WALKED IN HIS SHOES AND DONE WHAT HE'S DONE FOR MILLIONS WHO NEED HOPE!! OK, now let's move on! 

FACTS:

My fundraising goal is $20,000

I have raised $5,477
5 weeks until I will turn in all my fundraising money
6 weeks until the Luke’s 5-Line Ride
8 weeks until I‘ll be in Austin at the LIVESTRONG Challenge

CYCLING:

I raced in the 2012 Oklahoma State Criterium Championship last weekend. I didn’t win the State title but felt like I was really racing better. I raced at Hotter'N Hell 100 this weekend in Wichita Falls, TX! This is a huge race and my first year to race in it! I was super excited. I felt ready since I’ve been training for the 5-Line and LIVESTRONG rides. I have to tell you we all faced BRUTAL WINDS ALL DAY!! I set a new PB in a road race and I was happy with how I did. I placed 8th but had my fastest mph so I can't complain!

 FUNDRAISING NEWS:

Well, the big news is we have a website for the 5-Line ride!! Please go check it out http://lukes5line.com! We are also pretty psyched because we have a new friend, Jim Beach, who has joined us to help make this ride something super special. He’s been putting on amazing rides like DAM J.A.M. and Tulsa Tough’s Gran Fondos for many years. We feel really lucky to have him helping us! Thank you Jim! We think you will train us to be worthy ride Jedi's!!

We still have 5-Line shirts and decals for sale at Dwelling Spaces in Tulsa. There is going to be a super cool art show at Dwelling Spaces on September 22 with the focus on the beauty of Black Mesa (where our ride is being held)! You should really plan to attend!
 
You can see how cool our t-shirts are on our website! Go check out Doug Ulman, CEO of LIVESTRONG, wearing his 5-Line shirt! 100% of the proceeds will benefit my LIVESTRONG fundraising goal.
 

There are raffle tickets still available for the 2012 Trek LIVESTRONG FX bike. 100% of these ticket sales will go towards my LIVESTRONG fundraising goal. The tickets are only $5 each and the bike is worth $600!! Heck of a deal!

 

The Luke’s 5-Line is coming together! We made the front page of the Boise City News! We have secured complimentary food/lodging for all our riders. We have hired a caterer to prepare and serve all 3 meals on Saturday, October 6! The routes and feed zone are set! We’re getting more sponsors! In fact, we even have a beer sponsor, Black Mesa Brewing Co. How perfect is that?? It is really getting exciting!

Have you ever wondered why we call it the 5-Line ride? Well, the riders will chose how many state lines they want to cross in a single day! How cool is that?? They can chose between a 20 mile family fun ride, a 3-Line ride (40 mi), 4-Line (95 mi) or the 5-Line (120 mi). They will travel through one of the most beautiful parts of Oklahoma! You gotta come see it! We are planning to make this an annual event but if you don’t come this year you can never say I was there at the first one!! People can find the link to register for the ride on our website under Details/Registration! There’s a limited number of spots and registration closes on September 21, 2012. So what are you waiting for???

This year LIVESTRONG will celebrate 15 years of work to inspire and empower people affected by cancer! They started the same year I was born and I’m stoked to be able to celebrate this in Austin! I’m so excited with the amount of donations I have already received but the fight is still on to defeat cancer. I still have long way to go to reach my goal. If you are still trying to decide if you want to donate please think about this, 81% of every dollar goes right back to support the programs and services for survivors. This year alone they have saved clients $3.1 million in services and been able to launch 87 new programs throughout the country!! You are helping make a difference!

Please consider making a donation. Your tax deductible contribution would be one more weapon in this fight and would go a long way to help meet the needs of the millions living with cancer.

Thank you to those who have already donated!!! I truly appreciate all your support! Please check out my TRIBUTE WALL (below) to see the names of people I will be riding for this year. I will happily carry your loved one’s name with me and post it on the Wall of Honor in Austin with a donation, no matter the amount. As always, I have dedicated my mission to my grandfather (Poppy)!

Don’t forget you can follow me and the ride on Twitter (@lukethebikeman or @lukes5line) or Facebook (Luke’s 5-Line Ride)!

Thank you in advance for your time and generosity! I look forward to hearing from you and will be sure to keep you posted on my fundraising/training progress.

TRIBUTE WALL

Jim Pemberton (my Poppy)-Angel

Scott Raffe-Angel
Theresa Hild-Angel
Mrs. Myers-Rose (survivor)
Aunt Norma Jo-Angel
Alex TeRuki (coach’s dad)-Angel
Christopher Parks-Fighter
Makenzee Highfill-Fighter
Austin Dej-Rose (survivor)
Loralei Decker-Fighter
Ronnie Slawson-Angel
Lance Armstrong-Rose
Doug Ulman-Rose
Chris Brewer-Rose

 

100%

I hear my parents say all the time “where has the time gone?”. I am kind of thinking the same thing. WOW! It really isn’t too long now till so many things happen!! I thought I would send you an update on how things are going!

FACTS:

My fundraising goal is $20,000

I have raised $4,246 to date

8 weeks till the Luke’s 5-Line Ride
11 weeks till I need to turn in my fundraising money

14 weeks till I'll be riding in Austin's LIVESTRONG Challenge

CYCLING:

I'm getting in lots of base miles because the racing season has slowed way down. I've been working on many areas of my cycling so I will be ready to ride 65 miles in Austin.

FUNDRAISING NEWS:
I am still selling 5-Line t-shirts and decals at Dwelling Spaces in Tulsa, or you can contact me if you’d like to purchase one of these items.

100% of the proceeds will benefit LIVESTRONG.

I am raffling off a 2012 Trek LIVESTRONG FX bike. The raffle tickets are only $5 and, again, you can contact me to purchase.

100% of the proceeds will benefit LIVESTRONG.

I held a LIVESTRONG garage sale this past weekend and raised over $600!! I will be holding another sale as soon as I can gather some more items from family, friends and neighbors!

100% of the proceeds will benefit LIVESTRONG.

The biggest news is we are putting all the pieces together on the Luke’s 5-Line Ride. We have had riders signing up...how cool is that!?! We are lucky to have support from the local community in Boise City and the surrounding towns! I have to give a big thank to my Tulsa friends (who don’t want a lot of glory) but who are a huge help to make this ride a great time! I think it’s so cool that all our riders will be covered by ICE.events (In Case of Emergency). ICE.events is a system connecting your bib number to your identification, medical information and emergency contacts. If you’d like to come and ride with us you can get registered at https://www.usacycling.org/events/index.php?event=2054&year=2012. There is a limited number of spots so sign up early!

Registration for the ride is $250 ($200 will be tax-deductible and going straight to LIVESTRONG) Remember: This includes complimentary lodging in the bunk house for the first 25 riders and tent accomodations for the next 25, 4 meals and ride entry!!

I am very excited with the amount of donations I have already received but the fight is still on to defeat cancer. And, I still have a long way to go to reach my goal. If you are still trying to decide if you want to contribute please consider this:

“Where the Money Goes

LIVESTRONG endeavors to be the best possible stewards of the outstanding financial commitments made by its donors and partners and to leverage those funds in the global fight against cancer.

We gratefully thank our donors on behalf of the people served through your generosity.

Making a donation—at any level—can be a complex and difficult decision. For that reason, we are as transparent as possible about how we have been, and will continue to be, good stewards of your gifts.

Since our inception, we have raised more than $400 million dollars for the fight against cancer, and 81 percent of those funds have gone directly to support our programs and services for survivors.

2010
In 2010 we had functional expenses totaling $35,746,206, and 81 percent of every dollar raised went directly to programmatic funding totaling $28,954,426.”

Read more here http://goo.gl/YQzF2.

Please consider making a donation. Your tax deductible contribution would be one more weapon in this fight and would go a long way to help meet the needs of millions living with cancer. You can donate online at http://laf.livestrong.org/goto/lukeisthebikeman. Don't forget you can also follow me on my blog, Twitter (@lukethebikeman or @lukes5line) or Facebook!!

Thank you to those of you who have already donated. I am very excited with the amount of donations I have already received but the fight is still on to defeat cancer. And, I still have a long way to go to reach my goal. Check out my Tribute Wall (below) to see those I will be riding for in Austin. I will carry your loved one with me as well and put their name on the Wall of Honor in Austin with a donation, no matter the size. As always, my main inspiration and how I got started on this path was because of my grandfather (Poppy)! I think he would be proud!

LIVESTRONG

Tribute Wall



Jim Pemberton (my Poppy)-Angel

Scott Raffe-Angel

Theresa Hild-Angel

Mrs. Myers-Rose (survivor)

Aunt Norma Jo-Angel

Alex TeRuki (coach's father)-Angel
Austin Dej-Rose (survivor)

Christopher Parks-Fighter

Makenzee Highfill-Fighter

Loralei Decker-Fighter

Ronnie Slawson-Angel

Lance Armstrong-Rose (survivor)

Doug Ulman-Rose (survivor)

Chris Brewer-Rose (survivor)

SPEECHLESS

I haven't been able to write about this because I have been so blown away I couldn't find the words to express how I felt and still feel!

My mom and I were on our way to do a training ride. We didn't make any stops except at stop lights and at a railroad crossing. We were just a few miles from our location when my mom looked in the rear view mirror and saw my bike was GONE! I totally freaked out! I couldn't think clearly! I started crying "That's my baby! I have a race in two days! That's my baby!" It was the most horrible feeling I have ever felt over losing a thing!

We quickly turned around and began the search. Mom tried to keep me calm but it wasn't an easy task. We saw a good friend and fellow cyclist, Andy Chasteen. He was out on a training ride and offered to help us look for my missing bike. Thanks Andy!

Mom and I continued the search for four hours looking in every bush, ditch, drainage areas... EVERYWHERE! NO LUCK! I was devastated! My mom kept telling me, "There's a greater and overall meaning to this. It may be that we need this experience to help us grow. Or, it may be that it's because someone else needs to grow... but God has a plan and we need to trust!" She always says this when things are good and when things are bad. I knew she was right but it didn't make it hurt any less.

I had a time trial I was supposed to race in that coming Saturday (March 31). I wasn't sure what I would do when our friends the White's offered us a loaner bike!! Miracles were already taking place. I was going to be able to race.

I had a good race because I just kept thinking the guy in front of me was the one who took my bike! I took 4 minutes off my personal best!!!

Every night I prayed we'd find my bike! We did find it a week later posted on Craigslist! These guys were trying to sell it! I couldn't believe it. There's a whole other story here but the bottom line is we got my bike back. When we took it to the bike shop to get it repaired I had the BIGGEST surprise EVER!!!

My friends, Ryan Lenhart and Tobin Vigil, at Buchanan Bicycles were there when I got to the shop. Ryan took me in a separate room and began telling me "A lot of people were really sad when you lost your bike. And, you are always thinking of others with what you do for LIVESTRONG. So, a bunch of your friends who are cyclists pitched in a bought you a brand new bike!" The words I heard but couldn't believe. He took me into another room and there was the new bike all setup ready for me to get a fit! Tobin was taking pictures and I just walked around the bike in shock. I just kept saying "I can't believe this!"

 I don't know who all did this and may never know but THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!! I still look at it  2 1/2 weeks later and I'm still in speechless! You all are the best friends a guy could ever have! I feel blessed! GOD IS GREAT!

 

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

DRAMA

Last week was the best and worst week in a long time! I was preparing for my first Race of Truth and two days before the race my bike was stolen!!!!! I'm not ashamed to say, I cried like a baby for my baby...MY BIKE!!! This felt like the worst thing since losing my Poppy! I had nightmares that night...a pit in my stomach for days! But...race day was still coming and I needed to be focused! 


So, I had a teammate go off just one minute in front of me. He's my friend but I kept thinking he stole my bike. Oh, this kept me focused! I am pleased to say I set a new PR. I took 4 minutes off my best time on this same course!! I was happy to get some good news when I had been feeling so sad! 


There has been some good out of all of this! I have been overwhelmed at how many offers from other cyclists to help me find a bike to ride, build up a bike, give me a frame or parts to help me rebuild a bike. This is so cool that so many would reach out to help! THANK YOU to EVERYONE who has offered help or came to my rescue! I feel honored!


OK...onto a new subject...I am so excited as I am getting ready to make a BIG announcement! There are still a few details to be worked out before I can tell. This is all I can say right now...100...100...5...more to come! 

STAY TUNED

THE RACE IS ON!

H.E.L.P.

Hope. Empower. Love. Provide.

I have started my 2012 fundraising efforts to STOP cancer! Last year inspired me to do even more after being with 1000’s of survivors, cancer fighters and meeting my hero Lance Armstrong. I know one person can make a difference for millions. I’m a 14-year-old cyclist, I want to H.E.L.P. STOP cancer and make a difference in the lives of MILLIONS. 

Can you GIVE H.E.L.P.?

http://laf.livestrong.org/goto/lukeisthebikeman

LIVESTRONG,

Luke

YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING...

I JUST KEEP READING IT AND STILL I DON'T BELIEVE IT!

Dear Luke,

Congratulations! You have hit the $10,000 fundraising mark, and we are thrilled to invite you to participate in the 2011 Ride for the Roses Weekend as a White Jersey member. We cannot thank you enough for all of your hard work and we look forward to celebrating your accomplishments.  

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH (a bunch of other cool stuff)

Again, we send our sincere thanks for your support of LIVESTRONG and the global fight against cancer. We are excited to welcome you to Austin and to celebrate your remarkable fundraising accomplishments.

We’ll see you in October!

SERIOUSLY!!

I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!

This email got me thinking about why they hand out Yellow Roses to all the survivors at the end of the LIVESTRONG Challenge Ride. What did the Yellow Rose mean? And, this is what I found:

"The bright, sunny color of yellow roses evokes a feeling of warmth and happiness. The warm feelings associated with the yellow rose are often akin to those shared with a true friend. As such, the yellow rose is an ideal symbol for joy and friendship."

So, it truly is the most appropriate flower to hand those who have survived cancer! I noticed last year that those who had survived truly had an instant connection with each other. They were true friends with stories to tell. They had a joy for life and valued friendships. They appreciated life differently than before and were happy to share their stories with you!

As I ride in this year's LIVESTRONG Challenge I will carry those roses with me (even if it's just a picture on my jersey). I will think of those who have beat this disease and still have stories to share but I will also think of those who were not as lucky. Those people (their families & friends) have stories to tell too. They also have a connection with each other in a different way. And, then, there are those who are still out there FIGHTING to survive the weeds of cancer and become a Yellow Rose! I will be riding for all of these people! I will be riding for the Roses, the Fighters and the Angels!

I can't wait till OCTOBER!!! It's going to be EPIC!

I LOVE YOU POPPY

AND I MISS YOU!

LIVESTRONG

Tribute Wall



Jim Pemberton (my Poppy)-Angel

Scott Raffe-Angel

Mrs. Myers-Rose

Alex TeRuki (coach's father)-Angel

Don Cook-Angel

Christopher Parks-Fighter

Chad Kavanaugh-Rose

Susan Ringer-Angel

Grandma Pettit-Angel

Ronnie Slawson-Angel

Andie Ersman-Rose

Ida Yeager-Angel

Janis-Rose
John M-Angel

Alice-Rose

Lonnie-Angel

Jeff-Rose

Granddad-Angel

Charlene Mattingly-Angel
Shorty Thurman-Angel
John Calhoun-Angel

Lance Armstrong-Rose

Doug Ulman-Rose

Chris Brewer-Rose

28 MILLION-ROSES & FIGHTERS

USA PRO CYCLING CHALLENGE

THE BIRTHDAY TRIP

Artwork at Denver International

A couple of posts ago I told how my parents gave me a trip to Colorado to go see the USA PRO CYCLING CHALLENGE! I couldn't believe it! I was going to Colorado to go watch some of the stars of my sport do their thing!

Artwork at Denver International

The morning of our trip started early. Our flight left at 6:00am and we landed in Denver at 6:30. Mom and Dad had asked what I wanted to do on Friday since we were in Denver so early. They gave me many choices but I told them "I thought we were here to watch racing and I want to watch them climb. I want to see their form when they are climbing!" So, we got our rental car and headed to the mountains!

Look closely...SNOW on the Mountains!

I picked our spot on the mountain between Wolcott and Steamboat Springs. It was a great place because we could watch them come around two curves on the climb before they would pass us. I loved all the amateur cyclists, the caravan of team buses, team cars and swag mobiles that came passed us before the pro racers made their way. We met the nicest couple, Joe and Susan and their chocolate lab Cassie.

Here they come and see the BREAK!

When the racers made the first curve a breakaway started to form. It was so awesome! My dad was on one side of the road taking pictures and my mom on the other! They got some great shots of this stage of the race! It was great seeing them riding up that mountain and I had time to study their body position as they were climbing! After they passed us our new friends, Joe and Susan, invited us to come to their house so we could watch the race on Versus! It was great making some new friends and share our love of cycling. Stage winner: Elia Viviani Yellow Jersey winner: Levi Leipheimer

Sergio Henao, Tom Danielson & Tejay Van Gardener in the break

Gesnik, A. Schleck & Leipheimer

Day 2 found us getting up early and heading to Breckenridge. Today we were going to see a finish. So, we had lots of time to spend taking in all the sponsor's booths and checking out the swag! I even got my picture taken with Buzz the Honey Stinger bee! I love their organic chews, waffles and gels...yum! I also met some very interesting spectators! We even ran into some of our riding friends from Oklahoma! It was a great day of racing with a break that had formed with Ivan Basso, Andy Schleck, Laurens Ten Dam and Thomas Peterson. We kept up-to-date on the race with all the mega screens and mom's USA Pro Cycling app.

It looked like Andy Schleck would win this stage and I was so excited but they started playing games and slowed way down. They ended up getting caught with only about 700 meters to go and none of them even placed. The Breckenridge stage was won by Elia Viviani! Andy Schleck was not a happy camper but he was awarded the Most Aggressive rider's jersey! Yellow Jersey: Levi Leipheimer

Here's your winner: ELIA VIVIANI

This should have been the winner: ANDY SCHLECK

Post race interview with Laurens Ten Dam

Well, after this stage we went back to the team buses to see the bikes, riders, etc. This was pretty cool! We saw Cadel Evans, Jens Voigt, Christian Vande Velde all being interviewed. I got to see Andy and Frank's bikes on top of the team car. My mom met a man who was working security for the race. They visited and he told her for us to find him at the start of the final stage and he would get us positioned so I could get lots of autographs from the riders!!! I couldn't believe it! Go Mom!

Cadel Evans--AWESOME!

Day 3: The final stage started in Golden and would end in Denver. We had already decided to take in a start on this day but now we had even more of a reason to be here...AUTOGRAPHS and photos of the riders. We got to the start line super early and got in the best spot! When the riders came to sign in prior to the race they had to walk right past us! I got over 50 autographs on the back of my LIVESTRONG jersey. I was right there with some of my favorite cyclists--Andy Schleck, Frank Schleck, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer (still in yellow), Ivan Basso, Jens Voigt, etc. I even got BOB ROLL aka Bobke's autograph! It was a total party atmosphere!

Big GEORGE HINCAPIE signing my jersey!

LEVI LEIPHEIMER overall WINNER

ANDY SCHLECK

After the race started we walked down a couple of blocks and could watch them climb Lookout Mountain and then they were going to come back through Golden before they headed into Denver. It was so much fun! When they had all come through Golden we ate lunch and then took a drive up Lookout Mountain so I could see this climb! I sure wished I had a bike and could have tried riding up that mountain. There were lots of amateur cyclists doing just that and it was a great view when we got to the top!

Looking down from Lookout Mountain

On top of Lookout Mt with my family & jersey!

Garmin-Cervelo won the Team Competition and Americans took the top 5 places overall! The crowds at every stage were massive and the riders all talked about how much the crowds rivaled those at the the Tour de France! Stage winner: Daniel Oss (he'd placed 2nd or 3rd in the two previous stages and was a teammate of Elia Viviani)!

Just a taste of the crowds!

Before we left Denver to head back home we drove out to Red Rocks Park and saw some amazing sites! They also have an amphitheatre there...would be a great place to see a concert!

Well, I think this was a pretty amazing way to celebrate my birthday! BIG THANK YOU to my mom and dad for giving me these memories that will last a lifetime! GREAT TRIP!!! I sure hope this race continues every year!



MY MISSION

I'm 13 years old & on a MISSION TO STOP CANCER

I started racing bicycles in March 2010 and I started taking action against cancer in August of the same year. I wanted to be like my hero Lance Armstrong. He's my hero because of what he has done on a bike but more importantly for what he's done for the 28 million living with cancer. He gave people with cancer and their families a face of HOPE. When I heard my Poppy had cancer I was scared but I had HOPE. Although, my Poppy lost his fight I will never quit fighting to help others. The money I raise will help fund cancer research, help increase cancer survivorship, raise awareness through education and help fight cancer at a global level. I am really sad right now because we have lost two more great men to cancer. My aunt's brother-in-law, John Mendenhall, passed away last night. He was a solider in our military and had fought to keep us free. Then, he had to keep fighting. He fought bravely but sadly lost the latest battle to cancer. I am really sad for  my aunt's sister (John's wife); they had only been married one year. And, of course, his daughter. And, then, on July 4th we lost Scott Raffe to pancreatic cancer. He was an internationally renowned photographer. You should check out some of his photographs. They are amazing! http://www.raffephoto.com/raffe.html http://www.circusflora.org/photos/albums/2/ These men will be missed by their families and friends. I will be riding 45 miles in the Austin LIVESTRONG Challenge. I am riding for Survivors, Warriors and Angels. I might only be 13 years old but I will never quit cycling and using my bike to help others! I hope you can help me reach my goal! I will add your family member, loved one, or friend to my jersey with your donation. Click Here to make a donation for my ride in October! Thank you! LIVESTRONG TRIBUTE WALL: Survivors: Chad K Andie E Warriors: Angels: My Poppy Ronnie S Ida Y Scott R John M Shorty T John C

What An Honor!

I was very shocked and very honored when I got word that I was the 200th hero at Kids Are Heroes! If you get a minute please check it out! Lots of kids doing really amazing things! It's great to read such good stories! One person can make a difference! If you would like to help me reach my LIVESTRONG goal your donation will really help the 28 MILLION with CANCER! Then, let me know who you want me to ride for Survivor, Warrior or Angel and I will add them to my LIVESTRONG page as well as my jersey in Austin. AND, my collection bucket has reappeared...this time at the NEW Sun & Ski Sports in Norman, OK. So, if you are there please stop by the bike counter and make a donation and tell Rob (the bike manager) hello! Thank you!

http://www.kidsareheroes.org/lily.php

http://austin2011.livestrong.org/lukeisthebikeman