Dove Printing & Graphics / Minuteman Press TRENT

Thanks for the mention John! You are a remarkable human being, keep on pedaling. ❤️

What 26-year old me may not have anticipated however, was how long the plan would take to execute. It was nearly 2 years after committing to this thing before I actually began pedalling East on Interstate 90.

I made the most of this time to save money and get in shape by living as spartanly as possible. I sold my car and commuted everywhere by bike. Then I took employment with a telemarketing agency that specializes in fundraising for firefighters. Yes, I was one of those guys. It was the ideal job because it really honed my sales skills- and boy did it help build a thick skin! It's also where I met my buddy Brad, who kept me laughing at the office and tagged along on a lot of training rides.

When I wasn't in the call center selling Lee Greenwood tickets, I was riding all over town selling Pedal 4 Peace. I visited local schools, Lions Clubs, bike shops, TV stations, churches- any group or business who might be remotely interested in donating to the ride or spreading the word about it.

My pitch would go something like "Hi, I'm John- I've got a project you might be hearing about on the news pretty soon. It's an idea to get people thinking about world peace- I assume you support that! I'm planning to ride a bike around the world, talking to folks and creating pen pals, by hand-delivering messages between countries I visit..." As I got to the part about my planned itinerary, I would invariably hear questions like “So how are you gonna get across the Atlantic? Extra air in the tires? Hahaha!” or “You're not really pedaling 'around the world' if you fly to Europe... or will they let you ride a stationary bike on the plane?”

Slowly but surely though, it gained traction. Things really got going when I met Dave and Terri at Dove printing. They had a heart for service, and became very interested in sponsoring the project. With actual postcards in hand bearing the "Pedal 4 Peace" logo, people began to take me more seriously.

Within a few months, I'd gotten sponsorship for gear, T-shirt printing and a few free radio spots….

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Thank you to David Dysart Dove Printing & Graphics BSI Apparel

Hey friends, as most of you know ALS has taken 2 amazing people from our family. Davids dad Chuck and his brother Don. We learned quickly about the struggles that patients and families face when dealing with this terrible disease. Then along came Alsso Spokane. This local non-profit helped us in so many ways. They were there for emotional support and guidance, they were there when we needed expensive items like wheel chairs, special beds, lifts, bathroom retrofit, and a van. All of these things they provided to our family free of charge. The ALSSO is staffed entirely of volunteers. No one is paid for their time or efforts. I cannot express enough our love and gratitude for these wonderful people.

On Saturday, September 14th, they have their only fundraiser of the year at Big Barn Brewing Co. & Bodacious Berries Fruits and Brews, LLC. It's free, open to the public, and there will be a food truck, live music, and a silent auction inside the brewery. I hope you will all consider taking a drive up to beautiful Green Bluff and stopping by. It starts at 2pm and is a fun and relaxing time. Plus you may find that special something that you would like to bid on!

Also, if anyone at all would like to donate a gift certificate or item for this event just shoot me a message. The more donated items the better!

(A quick note about my father-in-law. When he was diagnosed with ALS he took action. He was a doer. He went to Washington DC and to lobby for funding and programs to fight ALS. He met with senators and representatives and asked them to support 3 goals, more funding for research, the creation of an ALS registry, and a program to provide respite care. He also participated in a clinical trial and formed a team to raise money and walk for the ALS Associations Evergreen Chapter.)

My brother Don left behind a wife and 2 babies. The opportunity to see his children grow up was ripped away from him. It was a terrible, stressful time and having the ALSSO step up multiple times for us when we needed them helped to remove a little bit of the emotional and financial stress that comes with ALS.