Wish-A-Mile® 300 Pedals for 22nd Year and Grants 250 Wishes
More than 800 dedicated cyclists, 100 volunteers, six semi trucks, 5,000 bottles of Gatorade, 10 bicycle mechanics, 30 volunteer massage therapists, 15 volunteer medics all made the three-day, 300-mile journey from Traverse City to Chelsea July 24-26. And it was all to grant 250 wishes to deserving Michigan wish kids.
The Wish-A-Mile 300 Bicycle Tour, affectionately known as WAM, pedaled for its 22nd year. It is the largest single Make-A-Wish fundraising event in the United States, garnering $1.52 million this year.
“WAM, and all the dedicated, compassionate riders and volunteers never cease to amaze me,” said Susan Lerch, President & CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan. “Michigan has the worst economy in the nation – we have had for a long time. So the fact that we can all come together every summer and raise this kind of money for wishes is really incredible. We bring joy to the kids, and in doing so, receive joy ourselves.”
Warren Wisner, a cyclist from Chelsea, Mich. was proud to return for his fifth year on the tour. “If I had one thing to say about Make-A-Wish and WAM, I’d say you need to try it if you haven’t. It’s an experience everyone needs to be a part of, whether you ride or volunteer or just donate. Whatever the case may be, it’s a really worthwhile cause for some kids who really need help.”
As always, exhausted riders found the journey more than worth it in the end. Their friends and families greeted them as they crossed the finish line, and their wish heroes – wish kids whom they’d been riding in honor of – proudly placed medals around their necks.
“Thank you for all the time, support and making wishes come true for kids like me,” said wish hero Nella, 10. “If it wasn’t for all the Wish-A-Mile riders, our wishes and dreams would never come true.”
The funds raised through 2009 Wish-A-Mile 300 helped grant the 6,000th wish in the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan’s 25-year history. Three-year-old Amanda, who was diagnosed with metastatic hepatoblastoma, a cancer affecting her liver, wished to meet her favorite character from Sesame Street: Elmo. Click here to read Amanda’s Story.
Read daily recaps of the tour and view photos and videos from each day at www.wishmich.org/onthetour.
My Pictures from the Tour!
I got to take someone along with me on the tour so I choose Annie. We were given the title as Safety Captains and we quickly became the Safety Stars. Our first job as safety captains was to decorate our van then while on the tour we coordinated help from police enforcement with the tour.
Also, everyone was assigned a “Wish Hero” to whom they could dedicate their three day journey to. At the finish line your wish hero would award you with a medal for your hard work. My wish hero was Alexandra.
It truly was an amazing experience… especially when you get to actually meet the person at the end that you dedicated all of your time and hard work to. This was definitely a time in my life that I will never forget. I cannot wait to volunteer for the tour next year!
To view the pictures taken by our professional photographers, visit kpiphotos.com and bryanmitchell.com.
