First team ride of the season

The 2012 ride season is officially under way. We had our first team ride last Sunday and over 30 people showed up. It was cool, sunny and windy day in Grandville. Our hosts, Steve and Katie Clark, laid out a looping route with 12, 20 and 27 mile options. I went for the 27 mile. I was feeling pretty good until we turned into the wind for the second half of the ride. At about mile 22 I was wishing I had taken the 20 mile route. But I persevered and finished with a pretty decent time considering the wind and the fact that I am really not in mid-summer riding form yet. Our next West Michigan team ride is this Sunday, leaving from Ada Park. It might be the easy and flat route out to Saranac and back. Or we may take to the hills on Snow Avenue. Knowing our coaches I'm betting on hills.

Jake's Music Festival is a great sucess

Delilah DeWylde stands on her stand-up bass during Jake's Music Festival.

As you probably are aware the main point of this blog is not to tell you all about my prodigious cycling ability. (That would be a very short blog.) The true nature is to inform people about what we are doing in the fight against Type 1 diabetes and to raise money for the cause. Our family's major fundraiser is Jake's Music Festival, a benefit concert held at the Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids every April. This was our eighth year and we had 17 different acts performing on stage.The music ran the gamut from Celtic and rock-a-billy to jazz and hip hop. All the performers are local musicians who donate their time to be part of the cause. This year's festival raised over $5,000 for diabetes research. With that and some other early donations we are over halfway to our family goal of $12,000. Thanks to everyone who supported Jake's Music Festival.

If you weren't able to attend but would still like to donate please click on one of the "Donate to..." links on the left.