Ride For Life recap

Saturday, June 18 was a perfect day for the first “RIDE 4 LIFE” fundraising bike ride to benefit the Nate Chute Foundation. The weather was cool and overcast. The riders were few but energetic.

I was the lone solo rider to cover the entire 64 miles. It took 4 hours and 20 minutes – I had a nasty headwind coming north from Somers. My partner Connie enjoyed over 50 miles with friends and co-workers. On the fundraising front I believe we’ll approach $1,200 when all pledges come in.

This weekend proved quite inspiring for me. On Friday, June 17 the Flathead Valley “Relay for Life” to support the National American Cancer Society was convening at the Fairgrounds. The main message that all speakers keeping repeating was “hope.” Hope for those who are victims and hope for those who are caregivers. That word – hope – has played a huge role in long-distance fundraising events. I had not attended this event since 1986, the first “semi-official” event held in Tacoma, Wash. This event was modeled after one several of us launched in 1984 called “Ray of Hope,” named after a fellow runner, Ray Rose. The original idea however belongs to Canadian Terry Fox who envisioned a trans-continental run entitled the “Marathon of Hope.” Terry completed 3,339 miles before being diagnosed with lung cancer. His run started in April, when we would hold the “Ray of Hope” event and he died June 28, just 10 after my “Ride 4 Life” event.

So, needless to say, it was a very emotional ride and perhaps best I was alone with my thoughts anyway. I dedicated this ride to my cousin Richard who took his life on Oct. 23, 2013. Richard was my immediately older and closest cousin. He was in some ways my earliest mentor. In fact, I went into regional and city planning as a career based upon his influence as a landscape architect. Richard died at age 64, therefore the mileage for this ride, in my 64th year.

Nate was only 19 when life left him. Too young to know what might have been.

All proceeds from the ride will help endow the “Richard Thomas Memorial Fund” inside the Nate Chute Foundation to benefit area youth. Make all checks payable to the “Nate Chute Foundation” and send them to: 722 Aspen Grove St., Whitefish, MT 59937.

— Patrick Malone, Whitefish