Spokes of Hope

As I discussed in my last posting, I was able to ride from our house to downtown Indianapolis last weekend.  One of the reasons I wanted to make this venture was to attend the Central Indiana Bicycle Assn. (CIBA) swap meet.  I was able to have great conversations with good friends and later I met my wife for dinner and went to the charity event "Dollars for Dempsey"  at the Milano Inn.   But that is not the subject of this entry.

At the swap meet, I was sitting on a ledge watching the crowd when I was approached by a (I have to be diplomatic, because my wife reads these postings) lovely lady with a smile that could melt ice cream, (OK, I failed on the diplomatic part).  Her name was Cindi and she wanted to talk to me about an upcoming bicycle ride, "Spokes of Hope".  I will get to the ride in a second.  But more on Cindi.  Cindi was one of those special individuals that was committed to the cause.  She is a two time survivor of cancer with a spirit that was contagious.  Ok, now I am sounding like a stalker.  No, Cindi's lust for life and all consuming smile brought back the best memories of my brother.  Todd (my brother) gave Cancer the fight of his life and taught me that at no time do you have the right to feel sorry for yourself.

Cindi told me her story with a smile on her face and I could not help but like her.  she did not tell me the story for herself, she was telling it for those battling now and for those that will be battling in the future.

This event is Right in my "wheel" house.  I LOVE to ride my bicycle and I have a chance to raise money for the disease that has Decimated my family.  As discussed above, My brother battled testicular Cancer that turned into leukemia. I was privileged to participate in a bone marrow transplant with my brother; my best friend.  Cancer also took my Mother and Father.  As I sit here writing this entry, I was informed that it will take another member of my family.  Candidly, I am tired of Cancer taking my family and friends.  The "lonely" time on my bike is actually not "lonely" at all.  It is my time to remember and candidly, spend time with those that have passed before me.  Sorry, I digress

SPOKES OF HOPE.  I love this event and will be a smiling, grateful participant.  Please visit this site and either/or/and participate, remember someone you knew that fought Cancer, hug someone that fought cancer and won the battle, donate.

Thank you for reading.

Dempsey - My Hero

I fell in love this weekend.  (Don't worry, my wife knows.)

My heart was stolen by this big lug named Dempsey.  My love affair began early Saturday morning when I was looking for something my wife and I could do together that evening.  I came across a benefit being held at the Milano Inn called "Dollars for Dempsey".  I immediately thought that this had to be for either a child or a pet.  I went to the web site and read the story.  I now had to go.

To summarize the story, Dempsey is a mix of a boxer and some other BIG dog.  When Dempsey was 8 weeks old, he was set on fire and left.  It is speculated that he was intentionally burnt.  Unable to prove criminal activity, the prior owner was fined a whopping $20.  (Now I am really irritated. If this was a person, not a dog, it would not have gone so well for the prior owner).  Others may have given up, but not Dempsey.  With burns to his underside, tail and feet (he lost most of his pads and has no toes) Dempsey fought like a champ to survive.  Dempsey's luck changed through the loving and caring of the Henry County Animal Shelter.  They nursed him back to "health" and found him a new home.  Dempsey was adopted in June 2011 by Eileen Orban, public educator and burn prevention coordinator for the Pike Township Fire Department. Now he spends his time visiting local schools and burn camps to teach children about fire safety and show them firsthand the dangers of fire.

The Event

My wife and I made plans that I would ride my bicycle downtown and tour the city for a while and she would meet me later to watch the Colts game.  The plan worked beautifully and we had a wonderful time at Scotty's Brewhouse watching the Colt's future in Andrew Luck and the rebuilt horseshoe team.  After securing my bicycle in the car, I asked if she was up to stopping to see Dempsey.  Being the animal lover she is, how could she say no.

When we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised to find a Patio with live music, and folks enjoying great food and beverages with their pets.  We had never been to the Milano Inn and have to say they did a fantastic job.  There was a silent auction set up outside the patio and they were selling tee shirts for the cause. We put some bids on the silent action items and then went looking for the star of the evening.  Since Dempsey had just gone through a surgical procedure, he was in a cage and could not associate with the guest.  It was obvious this was not his preference.  What a good boy.  You could just tell Dempsey loves life and his interaction with other animals and people.  We were very fortunate to meet Eileen, her husband and two daughters.  The Orban's are a special family and fantastic ambassadors for Dempsey.

The Cause.

Dempsey has found another guardian angel in the form of the Indianapolis Veterinary Emergency Center (IVEC).   While he's reached his full-grown weight, a near 100 pounds, he struggles to walk on all four deformed paws.  Dempsey also has deformed muscle tissue on both front legs, which causes restriction to the movement in his wrist joints, and affects his tendons. He is missing most of the pads on his feet and has an average of two per foot. Because he experiences discomfort in the manipulation of all four feet, he is putting extra wear and tear on his other joints.

While Dempsey is on the road to a full recovery, he needs YOUR help. He requires 8-10 staged reconstructive surgeries, in which IVEC's staff is facilitating, to improve his quality of life. IVEC will match every dollar donated to help pay for his medical bills. The goal is to raise $10,000 for Dempsey's Burn Fund.

Request

Go to the IVEC and DONATE  to the Cause.  You will find a listing of several Indianapolis Veterinary Referral (IVR) animal hospitals and businesses participating in this effort where you can drop off donations or you can donate directly through PayPal.