My thanks to La Grange for the Russell Moon Ride of Hope

Thank you, Michael.   I do know Russell – Russell gave me hope in some very tough times – Russell never gave up on me, even when I thought I had no hope to keep on living.  It was really hard for me to walk up to him too, though it was all I was looking forward to.

I chose to ride solo on Saturday – For 70 miles I thought about getting back in time to see Russell so I could tell him that I pray for him every day – and tell him to keep on fighting!

Over and over I thought about  how this type of accident could happen to any one of us.  I fought my own  personal battles, first, breast cancer, seven years later, multiple myeloma,  terminal bone marrow cancer -- two bone marrow transplants – But by some miracle, I am not only alive, but in the two percentile of surviving my situation.   I rode for Russell – I climbed for Russell and kept thinking of how I wanted to make him happy – and he would be so thrilled  to see all the riders who showed up for HIM.    

I did not want to miss seeing Russell!!  I knew I had to be back by 12:30.  Ride faster,  Cheryl! 

That may not be a big ride for most  of the LG riders, but that was the longest ride I have ever ridden alone -    I cried a lot of tears on Saturday.

The highlight was when I finally had eye to eye contact with Russell and he smiled and moved his lips and whispered “thank you” when I said, “I pray for you every night” -    Please know, my LG friends, most of whom are strangers, that I thank you from my  heart for what you all did on Saturday.   It was a life-changing day for me -- and I am sure for Russell -- And I am sure  lot of you who know and love Russell, or don’t know him, but still showed up him. I won’t forget those minutes with Russell, the  hope in his eyes, the  look on his face- It will never leave my mind, and in a good way.    He is a fighter like I have never seen.   He is one heck of  good guy --  Who knows what the kind of support you all  gave him on Saturday might do.   The mind is a powerful place.    A place we can believe and dream for the good. 

As said earlier, this was a ride for a fallen rider and not a race.    I had over four hours to reflect on how grateful I am for my life and how grateful I am to have had that opportunity, that day, with my bike, with fellow riders, and mostly FOR OUR FRIEND RUSSELL – I had the opportunity to say, “keep fighting” – we all had the opportunity to show another human being that WE care! What a gift.

I am still emotional about it, obviously.   I just wanted to chime in on this thread to say thank you all.    La Grange is  great group, with a solid foundation of riders who give hope.   Riders who deliver meals to those in need and, from what I see a lot of charity.    The few people I personally know in this group are people I respect and look up to very much.    You know who you are!  I am proud to be a small part of this group.

Maybe next year Russell will be with us on the ride – I know that I am glad I never gave up hope when doctors told me I had six months to live in 1995.  

Peace