The eighth deepest lake in the world, Lake Tahoe is 6,225 feet above sea level, nestled between granite peaks in Nevada that rise more than 10,000 feet. Randy Henderson, sales representative at distributorship SWM Printing and Promotions Inc., St. Louis, pedals rhythmically over the paved road, occasionally glancing at the gleaming water on his right.
It's June, and Henderson and 3,500
others are participating in America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride, an annual
100-mile trek that circles the lake. At mile 87, Henderson shifts gears and
begins the 9-mile, uphill journey toward Spooner Junction. When he tires, he
reminds himself that each revolution of the wheel has a purpose--to honor the
memory of his 9-year-old niece, who died of leukemia in December 2003, and to
support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Henderson is part of the Society's Team in Training. He rides weekly with a group of 25 riders and two to four times a week on his own. Henderson first cycled at Lake Tahoe in 1999. A former long-distance runner, he heard about the voluntary program through SWM Owner John Sanders, who serves as a national trustee on the Society's board of directors. Henderson since has completed five rides, including routes in Santa Fe, N.M., and Tucson, Ariz. He served as a mentor for three years, working closely with the team's coach and Kailie Rahines, its 13-year-old honored teammate and a leukemia patient. Each team spends time with their honored teammate to learn about the disease and give the ride special meaning.
More than 33,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with leukemia, a form of cancer that develops in bone marrow and blood. No one knows the cause, but recent breakthroughs in treatment have boosted survival rates. The Team in Training's effort helps fund critical research for treatments. "It's all designed that you raise money for a good cause and then get to go to a nice venue for a bike ride," Henderson says. To gather pledges for the Lake Tahoe ride, he organized a silent auction and raffle at a renovated mansion in St. Louis with two friends in just a few weeks. They called on local vendors to distribute liquor, beer, water, food and prizes, including commemorative footballs and jerseys from the St. Louis Rams and Cardinals. The event raised $1,500. "We know if we would have planned further in advance, we could have got a lot more items, a lot more people and raised even more money," Henderson says.
The rides offer Henderson another benefit: reconnecting with likeminded volunteers nationwide and forming lasting friendships. They know the ride's highs and lows are more than physical. Recently, Rahines passed away, motivating Henderson to dedicate his next ride to her memory. "I did the ride in June for my niece who passed away, and now I hope to do it for this young lady," he says.
--Andrew Brown
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Randy Henderson, sales representative at distributorship SWM Printing, St. Louis, stands with Kailie Rahines, a leukemia patient he met through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training Program. She recently passed away. Above: Henderson circles Lake Tahoe in Nevada at the annual America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride. He participated in the 100-mile ride to raise funds for the society, and plans to dedicate his next ride to Rahines.
