Wednesday, Jul. 02, 2008

RAFB worker plans to ride 300 miles on a bike - all to raise money for children's hospital

It might sound crazy, to ride a bicycle 300 miles through the heat of the Georgia summer.

But when you hear the reasons why Earl Humphreys decided to undertake the trip, you may agree that he would be crazy not to try.

His trip on bicycle to Jacksonville, Fla., and back is to raise both awareness and money for the Children's Hospital at the Medical Center of Central Georgia.

Humphreys is a member of the 116th Maintenance Operations Squadron at Robins Air Force Base, which for the past seven years has made a trip to the Children's Hospital at Christmas so that Santa Claus could deliver toys to the children in the hospital, as well as their siblings. Toys are also left to be given to pediatric oncology patients who are making day visits to the hospital for treatments.

Humphreys got involved with this effort about four years ago but in the past year has made a decision to be more individually involved with raising funds for items needed at the Children's Hospital. He ran in three marathons last year, raising about $900, and then started thinking about bigger - and in his case - longer ways to help.

"I kept thinking, what am I going to do this year? Then it hit me, I am going to ride my bike to Jacksonville, Florida," he said.

Very ambitious, indeed, especially since Humphreys has only owned his bike since March.

He e-mailed the Children's Hospital, figuring a negative response from them would kill the idea, but the Children's Hospital's reaction to was the same response given to their patients.

"Basically, they said we've got your back," Humphreys explained.

He will depart on Aug. 27 at 6 a.m. from the Children's Hospital and ride south to Warner Robins. His goal is to make it to Waycross the first day, but that depends on a lot of factors. Either way, he will spend the night in Waycross and then go back to his quitting point to start again the next morning.

All together, he will ride 314 miles.

His route will take him through Warner Robins and Perry, then on south through Hawkinsville, Eastman, McRae, Hazelhurst, Waycross, Folkston and then across the state line and into Jacksonville.

The "300 Miles for Miracles" ride will raise money for the Pediatric Intermediate Care Unit at the Children's Hospital. This is a new service that will be established by the hospital and will benefit patients whose injuries or illness are not severe enough for intensive care, but too critical to be cared for on the general floor.

"This new unit will free up beds in the ICU," Humphreys explained. "But when the patients' injury or illness still needs specialized care, they can be moved into that transition unit."

Humphreys doesn't have any illusions that he will be able to raise the entire sum - about $300,000 - himself, but he is adamant that he will be doing what he can.

"It's all about giving back a little," he says.

"None of these kids asked to be there, nobody asks for that," said Humphreys, who said he got hooked on helping the Children's Hospital when he attended one of his squadron's toy distributions.

"This one little girl, she asked for a movie and a Care Bear," he recalled. "But it was the strength she showed - she was pretty sick with a serious illness - the strength she had to use just to generate a smile and to thank us. I left that day knowing I had to do something more."

"The work that they do at the Children's Hospital is absolutely incredible," he enthused. "I am glad that they are there. It puts you at ease as a parent knowing they are there, knowing the work that they do and the level of care they have for their patients. "

According to Tarver Perry, development assistant for The Children's Hospital at the MedCen Foundation, the hospital serves more than 45,000 children a year from Central and South Georgia from a 29-county primary region, regardless of the family's ability to pay.

"We are just thrilled to have Earl do this, to reach out and help," said Perry. "He is donating his time - time at a very difficult physical feat that not just anybody could do - as well as his money. This is a man that loves the Children's Hospital and the work done there."

Perry said the Children's Hospital will have a send off ceremony for Humphreys and a welcome home celebration.

While Humphreys will be doing all the legwork on this project, he is looking for businesses and individuals to sponsor him.

On the first 20 miles of the trip, from Children's Hospital to the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, other bikers are encouraged to ride along, for a $30 donation. Ride Along entry forms are available at the Bike Store located on Watson Boulevard.

Sponsorships for the 300 Miles for Miracles are available at three levels:

• $1000 Presenting Sponsor:

Sponsor will be included in all media including television and press releases, featured logo on back of racer's shirt, featured logo magnet on car, featured logo on Web site, recognition in Medcen Happenings.

• $500 Interstate Sponsorship:

Logo on front of racer's shirt, logo magnet on car, logo on Website, recognition in Medcen Happenings.

• $300 Mile Sponsorship: Logo magnet on car, logo on Website, recognition in Medcen Happenings.

All other monetary donations are welcome. To donate online, visit www.300MilesforMiracles.blogspot.com. Checks should be made out to The Children's Hospital and sent to the attention of Tarver Perry, The Children's Hospital, 858 High Street, Macon, GA 31201.