michcanska tour raises 102000 for diabetes research
Amsnow
More than 70 snowmobilers from across North America came together last February to start the ride of a lifetime from Sault Ste. Marie, in Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula to Tok, Alaska. The trip covered 4 time zones and more than 4,000 miles. The reason? To raise funds for the Diabetes Research Institute.
Bill Bradfield of Cadillac, Mich., is the brainchild of this unbelievable venture and is a diabetic himself after being exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam. So Bill knows firsthand how important this research can be for people around the world.
What shocked Bill when he started planning the MichCanSka tour was the openness, generosity, and how close the snowmobiling community actually is. Mayors of towns, DNR officers, club and association officers, law enforcement, local business owners, guides, and many more people came out of the woodwork to support this epic journey through the snowbelt of the U.S. and Canada.
February’s trip and the people involved are estimated to have stimulated the U.S. and Canadian economies by more than $1.1 million, much of it in rural areas where small communities rolled out the red carpet for a good cause.
The large group was divided into smaller segments spaced out at 2-day intervals to make the trip more manageable. You could ride all, or part, of the trip. At the end, 54 riders made the entire trip, with the riders’ median age being 62.
This upcoming year’s trip is being planned for mid-February and will again be kicked off at the I-500 track in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The journey is slated to run east through Ontario, Quebec and end on Canada’s northeast coast.
For all the stories from the ride and information on joining the next adventure, sponsorship and for contact info, visit michcanska.com, or email Bill Bradfield at hoxeyvillain@hotmail.com.
You also can see the group’s videos of the Michcanska trip at its site.