I’ve been thinking of doing a
multi stage bike ride for probably eight years. A couple times I even
progressed to the planning stage and had a route picked out. But something
always came up and I kept thinking no hurry, I’ll do it in the next couple of
years. But after years of saying that I was still “a couple years” out.
Last year Britta and I were
talking about how quickly time flies after you have kids. We talked about some
goals we had and resolved to do some of them (it’s a favorite topic of
Britta’s, they hammer in goal setting early in the Monson family). I didn’t
immediately decide to do the ride, but the idea kept coming back until suddenly
I found myself looking at maps and planning a route.
I like that cycling slows you
down and lets you experience the country you are going through. There are so
many things you don’t see when you moving in a car, and even on this ride I
have tried to plan it so that I wasn’t in a rush. It has been an experience to
savor. I also appreciate the opportunity, the good health, and the support of
family, things which should not be taken for granted.
One of my goals with this ride
is to raise money for the Jason Timmerman Memorial Scholarship. This
scholarship is for a Math Education major and is in honor of my friend who died
in Iraq. Jason and I were in many of the same clubs and activities at college.
We both tutored math at Dakota State University. It’s a small college and most
of the time there were only a couple of us tutoring at a time.
I’m very grateful for both an
education, and the scholarship that helped me pay for it. If you have enjoyed
following my ride I hope you will consider donating to the scholarship. It’s
for a very good cause.
How to donate
to the Jason Timmerman Memorial Scholarship
You can donate with a check made out to the
Dakota State University Foundation. Put “Jason Timmerman Memorial Scholarship”
in the memo.
To donate online there are two steps you need
to take to enter the Jason Timmerman fund.
There is a “Select a Fund” drop down where you
select “Annual Academic Scholarships”.
Then in
the “Scholarship Designation” field enter “Jason Timmerman Memorial
Scholarship”.