Pedal the Cause

I continue to ride to celebrate my wife, Kristin Denbow, and her current success as she battles multiple myeloma at Siteman. Kris has courageously made her way through chemo treatments, a stem cell transplant and now made daily steps towards a full and complete response to her treatments. She faced each challenge with grace and courage and continues to each day. As a strong female role model for her family and friends, Kristin exemplifies a positive, informed and committed approach to tackling the troubles life randomly, and for no good reason, throws in our pathway. She makes me proud each day and I love her to my core. I celebrate each dance we share around the world.
I also ride for Each of us that has been affected by cancer. This includes cancer fighters and survivors, their family and friends. Specifically, I ride for our daughters. Our daughter, Anne, lost her four year battle with a nasty brain tumor in 2003 at the age of ten. Daughters, Ruth and Joan, are healthy adults that still live with the trauma cancer caused their own lives. I am also, an twenty-three year survivor of a sarcoma removed from my right thigh.
I was an educator for 40+ years which connected me with several students, staff and families that have faced the gauntlet of cancer. I ride for each of these people but especially for Katie Lawless, Garret Scott, Camden Wright, and in memory of Erika Miller, the young lady who first showed me what courage really looks like. I've seen how cancer affects not just these students, but also their classmates, family and friends. They reminded me each day how important it was to be both a fierce battler of cancer and at the same time, a person that lives life joyfully!
I am joining the fight against cancer by participating my fifteenth-annual Pedal the Cause bike challenge. Pedal the Cause has the mission to provide funding for cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center and St. Louis Children's Hospital through their annual cycling challenge in hopes that the research funded by their event will ultimately lead to a cure for cancer.
Please help me in this journey to find a cure by donating to my ride. I have committed to raise $375 for cancer research and 100% of your donation will go to directly to this cause. I plan to ride 30 miles on September 22. I hope you will join me in this grass-roots effort to advance research and find a cure.