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Sunday, July 11, 1999
By GUY PRIEL Journal Staff Writer NEW ULM -- The grounds around Jefferson Elementary school resembled a tent city on Saturday as 138 bicycle riders and assorted trucks loaded with equipment converged on New Ulm for the weekend. The riders are part of the American Lung Association's Big Ride Across America, designed to raise funds and awareness for the fight against lung disease. Although it resembles a disaster recovery area, the campsite is more like a miniature city that can go anywhere in the country, Director Rusty Burwell said. "We have generators for power, an office truck, complete with computers and mobile phones, a gear truck filled with tents and supplies and even a shower truck that guarantees 24 hours of hot water," he said. The school building has been set up as camp services which is mainly information central, manned by representatives of the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce and Big Ride volunteers who distribute mail for the riders. "It's a lot like summer camp," Burwell said. "There are care packages, cards and letters from people back home. They are sent general delivery to locations where we have a scheduled rest day along the route." The trip started June 14 in Seattle and will end July 31 in Washington, D.C. The riders travel approximately 80 miles per day, with the longest stretch being 113 miles from Sheridan to Gillette, Wyo. The trip, a total of 3,250 miles, reached the half-way point at Miller, S.D. "We travel for 48 days, with eight of those days being rest days, so the riders will be able to take advantage of Heritagefest while they are here," Burwell said. "It is a really good way to see the country at a slow pace." Breakfast is served between 6-8 a.m. and some of the bikers leave early. They are required to be in the campsite by 7 p.m., but riders take things at their own pace and often stop at several towns along the way, he said. "Riding on this route is really a challenge," Carol Anklan of Winona said. "There are days when you think there is no way you can make it over the next hill. But it is fun and rewarding." People along the way are very supportive and there are several places along the way where there is water and Gatorade. There are even some towns that provide massages and have bands perform for them, she said. "The scariest thing about the ride is the traffic, especially in areas where there are rumble bars or no shoulders," she said. Anklan got the idea for the ride when they went through Winona last year and she put some of the riders up at her house. After visiting with them, she decided she was going to take part in the ride. "I am not a bike rider, I am a runner," Ted Braggans of Plymouth said. "I am a member of the American Lung Association Running Club, so I was familiar with the work done by the Lung Association." He has been a marathon runner for 15 years and has run in every state and is now trying to run a marathon on all seven continents. "So far I have run in Europe, Asia, North America and Antartica," he said. "The run in Antartica was an experience, but it was done more for fun than as a marathon," he said. He retired from General Mills in January and finally had some time to dedicate to the Big Ride, so he signed up with the goal of keeping active. "It is a great payoff and a great adventure," he said. "It is a worthwhile cause and the adventure is the pull for most people riding." He originally thought the fund raising would be difficult, but he admits it was fairly easy, once people understood what it was all about and that they would take it slow and easy. "The weather has actually worked with us along the way," he said. "I am really enjoying the ride and would encourage anyone who is interested in signing up next year." One misconception people have about the riders is that they are finely tuned athletes, and he said that is simply not the case, because there are riders as old as 70 who participate. To be involved, riders must pay $150 for a registration fee and collect $7,000 in donations, Burwell said. "We will back through here in 2000 and we are always looking for new riders," he said. There is even a web site that is updated every couple of days to keep people informed of the progress of the riders. The address is http://www.bigride.com. The phone number is 1-888-big-ride.
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