(See page 22)

Front Lines

NOTEBOOK

Menthe

A Ride To Remember

8

F

to the finish line together."
or Paul Fried, who has suffered from Crohn's disease for 37
Fried rode by Horn's side, encouraging her and advising her how
years, completing a 216-mile bicycle ride over three days was
to shift the gears for better efficiency. They rode the final 12 miles
the accomplishment of a lifetime. "The sense of pride I have
fast, thanks to hooking up with two other riders, who helped the four
from completing this event will stay with me forever',' said Fried, 57.
establish a pace line.
The ride, held Aug. 3-5 near Seattle, was organized by Get Your
"I kept telling her she was awesome, she was going great, that her
Guts in Gear Inc. Riders pedaled 70 miles a day over the hilly terrain.
mother would be so proud when we made it
Brooklyn-based GYGIG empowers
over the finish line Fried said.
people affected by Crohn's disease
Cheering and applause awaited the coura-
and ulcerative colitis. It raises money
geous duo.
to foster awareness about these pain-
"I cannot describe how proud I felt when
ful, debilitating illnesses. Crohn's is
we crossed the finish line Fried said. "Katie
a chronic disorder that can affect
stopped her bike, started crying again, then
any part of the gastrointestinal tract.
threw her arms around me and said, `I never
Ulcerative colitis is a disease that
would have made it to the end without you. I
strikes the large intestine. There is no
was ready to give up.'
cure.
"I told her that I didn't pedal her bike
Fried, a Farmington Hills resident,
for her. She did that. All I gave her words of
hadn't trained until three months
encouragement and motivation. Even her
before this event. In fact, the public
mother ran up, crying, and hugged me, then
accountant hadn't been on a bike in 15 Katie Horn of Pennsylvania and Paul Fried of
thanked me for bringing her daughter safely
Farmington Hills together near Seattle
years.
to the finish line."
"I have always taken a positive atti-
Horn
called
Fried
her
angel,
especially during the hilly stretch run.
tude in life, despite all the adversity I have had; and I have now proven
"To be honest, I think without Paul's encouragement, I never would
to myself (and hopefully to others) that a person is capable of achiev-
have attempted that hill. I think I may have laid my bike down at the
ing almost anything if they want it bad enough:' Fried said.
bottom and admitted defeat:' she wrote in a thank-you letter to Fried.
Fried didn't sleep more than 90 minutes either night at the campsites
Fried raised at least $11,000 for GYGIG, the Crohn's & Colitis
along the route. The first day, he sustained a bad spill, but persevered.
Foundation
of America, the Colon Club, the United Ostomy
The last day proved very meaningful. Fried rode with Katie Horn,
Associations of America and the IBD Quilt Project Inc.
30, who has colitis. That satisfied her mother, who didn't want her
In an e-mail letter to the IN, Fried concluded: "I sincerely hope
daughter to ride alone for the final 72 miles.
that
other individuals suffering with Crohn's disease or colitis can be
Fried overcame knee pain in the first 30 miles, but Katie had a hard
inspired
by this and realize as I always have, that their illness does not
time conquering the inclines. As the 3 p.m. deadline neared to be at
control their life. They do."
the finish line or climb aboard a support van and be driven in, Fried
— Robert A. Sklar, editor
was determined that both would pedal their way in.
"Every time we came to a hill or long incline, poor Katie was strug-
gling:' Fried recalled. "I told her that I promised her mother I would
Paul Fried's Web page: www.ibdride.org/pfriedl.
stick with her. I said that we left camp together and we would make it

Pavarotti Remembered

L

care less — always jolly and affable and willing to do
uciano Pavarotti, who died at 71 Sept. 6 of pancre-
anything to publicize his appearances. He handled serious
atic cancer complications, was arguably the greatest
media questions with humorous quips to throw reporters
opera singer in history. But there should be no argu-
off guard. When the Opera House was under renovation
ment about his star status and drawing power over a long
from
the old Broadway Capitol Theater, he didn't mind
career in opera houses around the world.
standing
in the dusty rubble and telling the press gath-
He was a huge man with a huge ego, but he had even a
ered
there
what a beautiful place it would be.
bigger sense of humor, a warm and cuddly personality and a
Pavarotti's
manager wanted the airlines to let him off
real flair for public relations.
ti
Pavarot
planes
on
the
airport tarmac to avoid the press, but he
I got to know him pretty well when he made several
insisted
on
walking
out of the gate to greet passengers
appearances in Detroit, all sponsored by Ford Motor Co. to
who
had
rushed
to
the
area when they heard he was
benefit Michigan Opera Theatre and the new Detroit Opera
arriving.
Then
he
rode
off
in
a
golf
cart with everyone trailing.
House. He held two concerts at Joe Louis Arena, appeared at the Opera
He
enjoyed
having
his
picture
taken.
He asked Ford drivers to take
House's grand opening in 1996, did a Three Tenors concert at Tiger
him
into
the
countryside
to
see
the
landscapes
and animals, mainly
Stadium and made a brief farewell appearance at the Opera House. He
horses.
He
demanded
exhausting
rehearsals,
but
also joked around
kept us hopping by often canceling concert dates, but no one could be
there
with
colleagues
and
musicians.
angry with him. One time, he asked for a Ford car as payment just to
Shelly Cooper of West Bloomfield, a current MOT board member,
talk to the concert planning committee by phone from Italy.
was
one of the few Jewish members of the concert planning commit-
Pavarotti's managers and agents had strict rules about his schedule,
tee for his appearances. "He really knew how to work the committee
transportation, hotels, restaurants and press conferences, but he could

12

September 13 • 2007

This Week

www.JNonline.us

Celebrations!

Find weekly listings of births,
b'nai mitzvah, engagements,
weddings and anniversaries
online as well as past sim-
chahs all online.
Just visit JNonline.us and
click on Lifecycles on the left.

E-Newsletter

Desire notification when sto-
ries that interest you in partic-
ular are posted on JNonline?
Only at JNonline.us . Just click
on Newsletter on the menu
near the top of the page.

JBlog

Arnie Goldman shares his
thoughts about the Iraq war,
little mitzvahs and more.
Jeff Klein offers his Metro
Perspectives on everything
from dating to friendship.
Only at JNonline.us . Just
click on JBlog on the menu on
the left.

Latest From Israel

Want the most current news
from Israel? Check our stream-
ing news from Ynetnews.com
for continuous updates and lon-
ger news, opinion and feature
stories. And look at the center
of our Homepage for an Israel
story that changes twice daily.
Just visit JNonline.us and click
on a scrolling story on the left.

Online Survey

Results from last week's poll:
At the High Holidays, do you
make a point of personally
asking for forgiveness from
those you've wronged during
the year?

Yes 78%
No 22%

This week's poll question:
Will you fast on Yom Kippur?
Visit the JNonline.us
homepage, below the left
menu, to cast your vote.

