Saturday, September 1, 2012

Pedal for My Papa - Community Event


Pedal for My Papa - Community Event

Date: Friday, August 31, 2012 
Pedal for My Papa - Community Event
Location: Forest
Time: 5:00 pm
Description: Three year old Lyncoln will bike 10 km's on his two-wheeler to raise money for Parkinson's. Lyncoln is biking in honour of his Papa.
Our three year old son, Lyncoln, will bike 10 km's on his two-wheeler to raise money for Parkinson's on August 31st, 2012. Lyncoln is biking in honour of his Papa. Lyncoln rides a lime green 2-wheeler with hand brakes, a kick stand and a bell - he prayed for this bike.

Papa has Parkinson’s and our family wants to do our part and raise funds to donate for Parkinson’s. My husband Tony, our daughter Arianna and myself are supporting Lyncoln with his challenge. He wants to ride his bike to raise money ‘so he can help Papa to stop shaking.’

Back in the winter Lyncoln started asking why Papa's hand shakes. Tony and I tried to avoid the question because we didn’t know how to explain to him without being complicated. When we didn’t answer he went right to Papa and asked him. In May, on one of our evening bike rides, Lyncoln piped up and said "I want to stop Papa's hand from shaking". Tony and I were hit hard emotionally. Our son just told us he wants to stop Papa from shaking and we have to tell him that it is not possible right now, but we can try to help. We thought about it for a couple of days and one night he asked us to take him for a long bike ride. We looked at each other and knew right away that he had given us the answer! A bike a thon!

The next day we loaded up our bikes and drove to Grand Bend to use the trail along HWY 21. We felt this was the only location that would be safe for us to measure how far he could bike. On the way to Grand Bend we talked with Lyncoln about riding his bike to help Papa and he was thrilled!!! 

Tony and Lyncoln started biking from the LCBO parking lot towards the Pinery Provincial Park gate. Arianna and I set the trip meter back to zero and drove 1km. We waited, they passed. We drove another km and waited, they passed again. At 4 km's Tony and I switched. I was thinking that maybe he could do 5, we passed Tony, 6,7,8 and then the total was 8.4km. He biked right to the Pinery from the LCBO in Grand Bend! 

During the entire ride Lyncoln was in the lead and we only stopped twice, once to shake the sand from his croc and the second was to walk our bikes up to the top of a big big hill or what seemed big at this point. He just kept pedalling. It was amazing, and at one point he said to me "Never give up, right Mommy? Go through it, go under it, go around it". At the time I said, “that’s right bud.” Where on earth did he learn that? Someone please give me a kleenex - I was secretly crying as I biked behind him. 

When we reached the Pinery, Tony and Arianna were waiting for us. As we pulled away from the Pinery, Lyncoln asked us if we could go see Papa to make sure he wasn’t shaking anymore. My eyes filled up and I couldn’t speak. I could barely breath. He thought that if he biked all that way, Papa wouldn’t shake anymore. Bless his heart! Now, we are asking you to help him help his Papa stop shaking. 

Please visit www.parkinsonsociety/occasion/pedal-for-my-papa-community-event.html and make a donation on line to support Lyncoln's ‘Pedal For My Papa’ 10km bike ride on August 31st, 2012. 

Lyncoln has been asked to bike with Sarnia's Cory Welsh in Cambridge on August 14th, 2012, as Cory bikes across Canada for his Dad, who also has Parkinson’s. Lyncoln has been asked to ride his bike at the 2012 Parkinson SuperWalk in Sarnia on September 9th, 2012 as well. 

Please listen to the FOX FM 99.9 for an interview that Lyncoln has been asked to participate in with Sarah and George on the morning of his bike ride on August 31st, 2012. 

Lyncoln's bike ride will start at the Kimball Hall parking lot at 5:00 pm and will finish at the Kimball Hall parking lot. His route will be down Townsend passed Canadian Tire, down Brush to Douglas, left on Douglas to HWY 21 and right on 21 up to the lights, turn right at lights and then left onto Albert right back to Kimball Hall parking lot. 

There will be a BBQ with all proceeds also going to Parkinson's in Honour of Lyncoln's Papa. We invite you all out to support Lyncoln. Thank you, We truly appreciate your support.


Alexis Peters 

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