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Comfort Zone

Wish Kids, Team Alex inspire grieving brother and son of Jeff Surnow.

Robert Sklar I Contributing Editor

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Then the tragic disconnect struck that fateful
morning on Hawaii's Big Island.
For Michael, 67, losing Jeff, 63, almost proved
unbearable. But once more, the Wish Kids
who greeted Michael at Heroes Hurrah at the
finish of the two WAM courses reminded him
through their "incredible stories and coura-
geous examples that you never surrender to
adversity:'
"Instead:' Michael wrote in his WAM recap,
"you hold your ground and do not yield. Our
Wish Kids do this every day of their precious
lives. You can see the resolve in their eyes, hear
it in their voices and feel it from their smiles.
Like them, I, too, will remain strong and stead-
fast regardless of what the winds of fate have in
store for me:'
Brighton-based Make-A-Wish Michigan
grants wishes to qualifying children with life-
threatening medical conditions. Michael is a
member of Oakland County-based Team Alex,
which raised more than $368,000 of the WAM
total of $2.092 million — enough statewide for
261 wishes (average value of $8,000).

Family Affair

Michael joined 155 Team Alex teammates
who tackled either WAM's 300-mile, three-
day course from Traverse City or the 50-mile,
one-day course, which meandered around the
Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
MIS is where the 300-mile riders caught buses
Up North and where both courses fmished with
a lap around the speedway on July 26. The two
courses drew more than 1,000 registrants.
Michael's teammates included nephew Max
of Birmingham, Jeff's son and a 5-year WAM
rider; Jeff's brother-in-law, Norm, of Bloomfield
Hills, an 11-year rider; and Norm's son and
daughter-in-law, Ronnie and Lindsey, 7- and
3-year riders, respectively, of San Francisco.
The Surnows felt the aura of love and friend-
ship, and a dose of comfort, in leading the Team
Alex family on a silent walk of their bikes past
placards remembering fallen Wish Kids and
WAM ambassadors just before the MIS finish.
Team Alex memorializes Alexandra Graham,
daughter of Susie and Bill Graham of West
Bloomfield. Alex died in 1999 at age 17 from
bone cancer. Her wish was to create a public
service announcement encouraging able-
bodied kids to smile, not stare, at other kids
who may look different because of a medical
problem or physical limitation.

Be Proactive
At WAMmy Awards Night on July 25 celebrat-
ing the Wish Kids and their families, Jeff's
memory drew a standing ovation when it was

8

August 13 • 2015

announced his WAM fundraising page had
generated nearly $36,000 in contributions this
year. Earlier, the family accepted a framed 2015
WAM Wish Granter medal in his memory.
"My father would be so proud and honored
by such support:' Max told the WAM crowd in
DeWitt, near Lansing. "Make-A-Wish has really
mattered to our family. My riding is in tribute
to my father:'
Team Alex Captain Beth Brandvain of
Farmington Hills recalled Jeff's favorite encour-
aging words, which adorn the back of the team's
new T-shirt design.
"When anybody would go to Jeff and say,
`I want to do this or I want to do that: Beth
recounted, "he would just say, 'What are you
waiting for?' So if you have any challenge or any
goal or any difference you want to make in this
world, what are you waiting for? Just go and do
it:'

"When anybody would go

to Jeff and say, 'I want to do

300-milers Michael and Max Surnow wear the specially designed Jeff Surnow
tribute jersey at this year's Wish-A-Mile Heroes Hurrah at MIS in memory of
their brother and father, respectively.

this or I want to do that,' he

would just say, 'What are you

waiting for?'"

– Team Alex's Beth Brandvain

Kid Power

In addition to wristbands with the names of
Alex and other current Wish Kids, Team Alex
for four years has sported string bracelets fash-
ioned by Wish Kid Sophie Blumberg, 11, of
Farmington Hills and her mom, Mindy. Sophie
joined Shayna Hersh, 14, of Huntington Woods,
Samantha Carlson, 10, of Highland and Izzy
Stothers, 7, of Troy as 2015 Wish Kids for Team
Alex. The kids greeted team finishers at MIS
with WAM medals.
Last summer, Sophie learned how to ride a
bike without training wheels so, in the spirit of
Jeff Surnow to pursue a dream, she was elated
when WAM Junior, a half-mile course inside
MIS, was added this year.
"I really liked she told the IN, "because
I got to do all the things that my dad, Loren,
and the other riders got to do on the 50- and
300-mile rides, like wear a number on my
shirt and stop at break stops to eat snacks. The
ride meant a lot to me because I was able to
raise more than $950 to help other kids just
like me."

❑

8-year Team Alex rider Landi Heller
of Royal Oak is flanked by Wish Kids
Shayna Hersh of Huntington Woods and

Sophie Blumberg of Farmington Hills at
Heroes Hurrah.

First-year Team Alex rider Jack

Silver of Detroit, center, covered

300 miles with his father, Mike,
while his mother, Beth, rode 50

miles. His parents, of Huntington
Woods, are both 2nd-year riders.

Team Alex
tandem
riders David

and Michelle

Soble of West
Bloomfield

share the
experience

of their first
WAM 300.

