Day 153 - 9.18.10 - Fat Tire Memorial Bike Tour

9 riders. 8 bike helmets. 1 hockey helmet. 27 miles. 1 beautiful lake. 7 bars. 8 hours. 18 sore legs. 9 sore butts. Mission Accomplished...

Day 152 - 9.17.10 - Helmet Second Use

On Friday, Lauren and I traveled north to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Saturday, along with some friends, we will embark on the Fat Tire Memorial Bike Tour around the entirety of beautiful Lake Geneva. The ride, which raises college scholarship money for local students, is punctuated by several stops at the finer drinking establishments in the Lake Geneva area. Hence the conversion of my hockey helmet into a make shift bike helmet... Safety first.

Day Forty-Seven - 6.5.10 - Elly's Breast Friends

Today, Lauren's sister Lindsay (front row, second from the right) and many of her friends from college began the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, in which these ladies, along with thousands of other women (and some men sprinkled in) will walk 40 miles in 2 days to raise awareness and ca$h for breast cancer research. The group was inspired by their good friend Elly (far right) who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and has dominating the disease ever since. Together, this group raised around $25,000.

As Lauren and I waited at the mile 12 marker for the ladies, we saw many other groups walk by, all donning their own combination of pink clothes and accoutrement. One recurring theme embedded in the walk was that humor has a place in fighting cancer. I saw countless bras on top of shirts and numerous t-shirts emblazoned with witty slogans and mantras. Lindsay's group of friends dubbed themselves "Elly's Breast Friends." Pictured above you'll also see shirts that say "Save 2nd Base." The walkers exuded resilience, determination, levity, and a positive attitude (all reinforced and encouraged by this gentleman who was riding on top of a pink Ambulance that was blasting Whitney Houston).

++ As you'll see I've added the date to the title of this post (and will continue to do so) - This is just clarify that this photo was, in fact, taken on Saturday (Day 47), but not posted until Sunday (Day 48). We'll call it "the press of business" that prevented me from posting on the say day the picture was taken. I will naturally continue to take one photo per day, but occasionally will post the day after (if things get busy or my photo is taken and night and I don't get home until after midnight). Dig? ++

Day Thirty-One - Off The Street Club

Tonight Lauren and I participated in the Off the Street Club's Third Thursdays, where kids from the city can get together with adults and spend an evening of fun together. This is Ireana, my pal for the night. We took a bus tour of some historic spots in many of the impoverished neighborhoods on the city's West side. Every location seemed to have a rich history now marred by some tragic event perpetrated by gun violence. I cannot possibly imagine what it is like to live in these neighborhoods as a young child, where making the wrong decisions must seem so much easier than staying on a positive path.

Despite their challenging surroundings, the children were full of life, optimism, humor, and love. I haven't ever been hugged so much in one night. Ireana in particular was a joy to be around (she was named one of the "Girls of the Year" for the OTSC in 2009). I gave her my camera and she really took to it, snapping countless pictures at one of the stops on the tour, a basilica in Garfield Park. She also took the picture below at the final stop on the tour. At this location, a treasured Off the Street Club volunteer was gunned down simply for asking a drug dealer to leave his corner. We paused here on the tour and laid flowers of remembrance for the fallen volunteer.

Day Thirteen - MS Walk

This morning the Bransen family (with significant others, and significant canines) mounted up and walked with thousands of others along the Chicago lakefront for the 2010 MS Walk. The event raises awareness (and ca$h) for multiple sclerosis research in an attempt to find a cure. Today, we walked for the wonderful Judi Bransen, Lauren's mother, my mom-in-law, who has been bravely kicking this disease's rump for nearly fifteen years. She is an incredible mother who refuses to let MS slow her down. Put simply, we are very proud of her. Go Judi.

The walk took the participants from Grant Park, though the museum campus, along Lake Michigan, and back to the park. On the return through the museum campus, friend and brother-in-law Tim spotted this dino-skeleton outside the Field Museum, donning a Johnny Towes sweater. While it reminded me of the brontosaurus sized stinker the Blackhawks laid on Saturday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semis vs. the Ca-nerds, it also reminded me that Chicago is the greatest sports city in the world, with the greatest fans on the planet. No doubt in my mind. Here's to hoping that the Hawks swat the Canucks in Game 2 just like Judi's been swatting MS for the last fifteen years. Go Hawks.