| 07/26/2001 | Michigan's Wish-A-Mile (WAM) 300 Bicycle TourAnd they're off! More than 300 riders and 60 volunteers gathered this morning at the General Motors Proving Ground to commence the 14th annual Wish-A-Mile (WAM) 300 bike tour to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) of Michigan.
The bike tour, beginning and concluding at the GM Proving Ground in Milford, Mich., is expected to raise more than $300,000, about a 10 percent increase from last year.
The riding schedule for this year's WAM follows:
* Thursday, July 26 - Riders register at the General Motors Proving Ground and are transported up to Cheboygan to spend the rest of the day gearing up for the ride.
* Friday, July 27 - The ride begins at 6:30 a.m. with a countdown given by a wish child. The riders will pass through Cheboygan, Tower, Atlanta, and Lewiston until they reach their final destination for the day: Mio.
* Saturday, July 28 - Once again it's up and at 'em, bright and early, as the riders embark on that day's journey at 6:30 a.m. They will ride through Mio, Rose City, West Branch, Gladwin and call it a day once they've reached Midland, Mich. and put in their one hundred miles.
* Sunday, July 29 - This marks the final day of the riders' journey, as they depart at 6:00 a.m. Riders will begin in Midland, passing through Saginaw, New Lothrop, Durand, Byron, Oak Grove, Highland and finally finishing their ride at the General Motors Proving Ground in Milford, Mich. There they will be greeted by family, friends and wish children, from noon to 4:00 p.m., at the ending celebration, the "Heroes Hurrah!"
"WAM is one of our most successful fundraising events thanks to the tremendous community support and the continued participation from our dedicated riders, sponsors and volunteers," said Susan Lerch, president and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan.
The riders have the opportunity to see first-hand how much joy wishes bring to ill children, as each rider is paired with a "wish hero," a wish child who has already received their wish. While on the tour, riders wear a bracelet with their wish hero's name inscribed on it. This bracelet serves as the inspiration for the riders. Wish heroes and wish children that live along the tour route will also be invited to dine with the riders each night.
Additionally, the wish heroes will be reunited with their riders at the ending celebration, the "Heroes Hurrah!" During this celebration, the wish heroes will cheer on the riders as they cross the finish line and award them with a special commemorative medallion for accomplishing this amazing feat in their honor.
"Throughout the course of the tour, the riders develop a very special bond with their wish heroes," said Carrie Dlugas, WAM event manager for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan is a chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) of America, the largest wish-granting charity in the world. Since 1984, the Michigan chapter has granted more than 2,800 wishes to children, under the age of 18, living with life-threatening illnesses to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. The Foundation anticipates granting nearly 400 wishes this year and has offices in Livonia, Okemos and Grand Rapids.www.wishmich.org
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