Biking the Mississippi River Trail

I have been riding my bicycle through the Twin Cities for years, and this summer wanted to add a bigger purpose for all of the miles I put on my bike. You can check out the links on this website and other blog posts for more details, but the ride is going to cover the Mississippi River Trail from Itasca to the Iowa border, and it will be supporting a few charities that provide free support for counseling and health services for students directly in their school. The opportunities and experiences children have at a younger age can have such an impact on the course of their lives. Providing healthcare and counseling services to children who may otherwise not have access is one way to promote more opportunity for these kids. I want to do anything I can to promote these programs and am hoping my blog can contribute to this important cause.

I've done one multi-day bike tour in the past and am looking forward to taking on the challenge again. I owe a huge shout out to Dr. Jeff Mandel for supporting me on this ride. I have met Jeff a number of times over the years and saw him set up his own charity ride a few years ago. When I reached out to ask details about the process, he was more than willing to help and participate. Not only did he kick off fundraising with a generous donation, but he has helped set up meetings with the charities I am supporting and plans on joining for the ride itself. I couldn't imagine doing this without his support! Myself, Jeff Mandel, and Mike Wood (who has been a huge help setting up the ride and the blog) will set out on June 18th to begin our adventure. I will be posting daily once the ride begins and hope you'll follow along with the posts. We would love to see the donations climb as we train and tackle the ride. If you'd like to support us in another way, we are happy to have anyone join us on the ride or wave as we pass by your town.