Family Focus

300-Mile Bike Trek Aids Kids

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Warren Robinson and his Team Alex "Iron Horse"

award for riding all 3,000 miles over 10 years

Warren Robinson

Special to the Jewish News

I is not about the bike says Tour de
France seven-time champion Lance
Armstrong. And in my case, it is not
about the bike ride.
Recently, I completed the Wish-A-
Mile (WAM) three-day, 300-mile bicycle
ride from Traverse City to Chelsea with
800 other riders. This July 25-27 bike
ride is the Make-A-Wish Foundation of
Michigan's largest annual fundraising
event.
I am a proud (founding) member of
Oakland County-based Team Alex, an
eclectic group of family, friends and
acquaintances who like to ride and who,
in many cases, knew Alex Graham, a West
Bloomfield teenager who passed away
at age 17 almost 10 years ago. The team,
which includes many Jewish members,
was formed to honor her memory. Alex
was a Make-A-Wish wish recipient.
Alex's memory continues to inspire our
team to challenge other riding groups to
raise significant funds for Make-A-Wish.
The Wammer Jammers, another local
group, also has a Jewish presence.
Many WAM riders focus on the actual
three days and the preparation that went

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August 21 • 2008

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Team Alex rider Dori Leib of Farmington Hills with Make-A-Wish Hero
Nate Koomen, 9

into them: months of training, grueling
hills, inclement weather, 9- to 10-hour
rides, soreness, injuries, etc. This should
be expected and there is nothing wrong
with that. I would be lying if I said I did
not think about that stuff.
I choose to focus however, on the oppor-
tunities that the ride and the Foundation
create. The Make-A-Wish Foundation
provides chronically and terminally ill
children and their families with the means
to fulfill their wishes. These can come in
many forms: a trip to Disney World in
Orlando, playing hockey with a Detroit

Red Wings player, getting a computer or
going on a shopping spree at the mall, just
to name a few.
Moreover, I see the ride as an opportu-
nity to really help our community, both
the Jewish community in Metro Detroit
and our fellow Michiganders throughout
the state.
The ride has given me and others an
opportunity to tangibly perform tikkun
olam, by repair of the world, one child at
a time. We do this by serving as a conduit
for the community's beneficence. It is
an indescribable "feel good" experience

knowing that you have been touched by
the warmth of the community and are
passing that on to a precious child.
Fundraising is the hard work. The ride
is really just a reward for the May-to-July
legwork.
Every rider or team is paired with one
or more Wish Heroes. Over the last few
years, Team Alex riders have formed a
special bond with two amazing Wish Kids
and their families; Nate Koomen, 9, of
Zeeland and Lily Upp, 11, of Berkley. Their
strength, determination, encouragement
and beautiful smiles are a source of inspi-
ration during the ride and all year long.
Our relationship with Lily is a special
bonus we received when her Uncle Earl
(Bogrow) of Huntington Woods joined
Team Alex. Last year during the weekend
of the ride, Lily was having lung surgery
at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
This year was a different story! Lily is now
finished with her treatments at Beaumont
Hospital in Royal Oak and she, along with
her mom, Sue, and her Aunt Julie, were
there with our team at a very touching
awards ceremony on Saturday night, July
25. By the end of the program, the only
thing bigger than the pile of sunflowers
that all of us had deposited in her lap was
the huge smile on Lily's face.
The Upp family and the Koomens were
also at the finish line to greet us when we
finished the ride. No matter how exhaust-
ed I may feel at the end of the three-day,
300-miler, ending the ride in the presence
of the very children who inspire us, along
with Alex's parents, Susie and Bill Graham
of West Bloomfield, is an exhilarating
experience.
This was actually my 10th year riding
the WAM for Team Alex. I was honored
with the Iron Horse award for never miss-
ing a mile — 3,000 in total — in all those
years.
I hope that by sharing my experience, I
will encourage other riders and volunteers to
join this event that raises money for such a
great organization and to know that anyone
who participates will be forever affected by
the remarkable opportunity. El

Warren Robinson is a Franklin resident.

Wish Hero Lily Upp, 11

The WAM took in $1.6 million. Team Alex
brought in the most money for Make-A-
Wish Foundation of Michigan: $193,000.
The Wammer Jammers, the second-highest
fundraiser, raised $136,000. For informa-
tion about Make-A-Wish Foundation of
Michigan: wwwwishmich.org.