“W
e’ve had enough hurt
in our lives already, so
the next time you see a
kid with cancer or even someone who
looks a little different, try a smile — we
could use it.”
Those were the words of Alexandra
Graham — spoken in a public service
announcement as part of her wish
granted by Make-A-Wish Michigan —
shortly before she died of bone cancer
in 1999 at the age of 17 following a
courageous battle.
At Alex’s funeral, her family request-
ed that instead of flowers or tributes,
people do a good deed in her memory.
This year marked a quarter century of
doing good deeds in Alex’s memory.
Team Alex, the team of differ-
ence-making cyclists formed to advance
her wish and support wish-granting,
celebrated its 25th anniversary from
July 28-30 in the 2023 Wish-A-Mile
(WAM) Bicycle Tour, Make-A-Wish
Michigan’s top annual fundraiser.
Team Alex raised more than $360,000
this year, helping to grant more trans-
formational wishes to Michigan chil-
dren with critical illnesses.
This year’s 300-mile, three-day
trek started in Marshall at the Eaton
Proving Grounds, with stops in
Holland, Kalamazoo and then back to
Marshall. The 25th anniversary cele-
brations for Team Alex included a pizza
party and cake. It was also the 25th
anniversary for Team Alex’s captain,
TOP: Team Alex members stopped for a drink a few miles out from the day three finish line before finishing the trek together. A rider wearing
the Team Alex 25th anniversary T-shirt, given out to all Team Alex members.
The team has raised millions of
dollars over the years, leading
to hundreds of wishes granted
for Make-A-Wish children.
Team Alex Celebrates
25th Anniversary
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
18 | AUGUST 31 • 2023
OUR COMMUNITY
LEFT: Team Alex members riding between Marshall and Holland on day one of the ride.
RIGHT: Team Alex riders relaxing at the finish line in Kalamazoo at the end of the second 100-
mile day.