Lee hopes to log a lot of miles and memories on long trek


Bob Lee once traveled this country for a paycheck. He didn't stop to look around, didn't concern himself much with others or with his community.

He's making up for lost time, one mile at a time, for the next five-plus months.

Lee, a few weeks shy of 65, is riding a bike 6,500 miles, but not to show off or kill time in retirement. He's riding for some dear friends but also for people he doesn't know, for the people he'll meet along the way and for those who, he hopes, will be as fortunate as he has been.

Lee is a colon cancer survivor, one of the lucky ones who didn't need chemotherapy or radiation. He wants to spread the wealth, spread the good feelings, by spreading the word. The bike ride is meant to raise awareness for three charities: the American Cancer Society, the Les Turner ALS Foundation and the National Hospice Foundation.

His trek began March 28 in Jacksonville, Fla. Lee has stayed off the main roads, pedaling in his padded Trek saddle and padded bike shorts, about 550 miles so far. On Thursday morning, Lee left Bald Head Island and made the short trek on N.C. 211 to the Southport-Fort Fisher ferry, where he met me.

We talked during the ferry ride, then rode a few miles up U.S. 421, through Fort Fisher and up to the Kure Beach Pier. On the road, we discussed his previous stops (12 so far), the April Fools joke he posted on his Web site (something about pit bulls, complete with staged photos) and his many moves as "corporate migrant worker."

He's a glass-full guy if there ever was one, not sure where he's sleeping most nights of his journey but not the least bit stressed by it.

"I find friends out here," he said. "People will say, 'Aren't you worried? There's a lot of kooks out there.' I'm not looking for kooks. All I'm finding is wonderful people."

Hearing the story of Morrie Schwartz, the real-life character in the Mitch Albom book Tuesdays with Morrie, helped Lee see what he was missing. He once moved his family seven times in 14 years, making few contacts outside work. For one job, he commuted to Baltimore while living in Chicago.

"Morrie Schwartz was a wise teacher of, 'How do you pay back?'" Lee said. "I was a workaholic, a little bit a Mitch Albom. He taught, 'Slow down, pay back to your community.' I was commuting, and I wasn't a part of either (community).

The balance that was missing in Lee's life - well, it's tipping the other way now.

"People need to divide their life into a pie chart," he said. "There's work, there's family, there's faith, and there's charity. There should be balance in your life. This is my balance. It's accelerated a little bit, but it will make up for the past."

Lee has done a bike ride such as this before, six years ago riding 3,200 miles in 65 days to raise money for hospice programs and research of ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Lee is riding solo much of the time, until he meets his daughter outside Washington, D.C. The two plan to celebrate their late-April birthdays together while riding north.

Based on his e-mails and voice mails, it's fair to say Lee has plenty of company on the road, even if he's the only one doing all 6,500 miles.

He wears one companion close to his heart, inside his cycling jersey. In 2002, he spoke at the funeral of a friend named Rich Crane, who had died of ALS. Speaking to a crowd of about 650 (there's that number again), he said, "Rich is our attitude coach. He had such a good attitude, but his body just gave out."

When Rich's wife, Lisa, heard that Lee was going to ride again to fight ALS, she left a Christmas present at his house, with a card that said, "Here's a gift on loan."

Puzzled, Lee opened the gift: a locket Lisa had made that carried some of her husband's ashes.

"She said, 'I know that you would want to have your attitude coach with you," said Lee, tearing up while riding the ferry Thursday. "So, I'm not alone."

Lee rides for Lisa and Rich Crane. He rides for the man he met at Bald Head Island, the one whose mother just died of ALS. He rides for those unaware, for those who should get screened for cancer or other diseases. He pedals the miles himself, but after all those years moving to his own rhythms, Bob Lee rides for you.

Sports editor Neil Amato can be reached at 343-2263 or neil.amato@starnewsonline.com.


Hello Bob:



I wanted to alert you to a potential ALS awareness opportunity in NC.



Bob Lee, of http://www.3reasons.org, is riding his bike on a 6,500 journey for ALS, Cancer, and Hospice. This is his second fundraising ride for ALS. In 2001 he rode from San Diego to St. Augustine.



This time, he will be traveling through NC in the next week to 10 days.



Would you be able to follow his website blog /schedule with the idea that you might contact him about what might work for you and for him for ALS awareness—especially .local press and TV.



Here is his direct email: bob@3reasons.org



He might also need assistance with lodging, meals, etc.



Please forward this email to any who may be able to help.



Permission granted to post on any suitable forum



Thanks,