Bicyclist finishes cross-country ride to help kids’ camp

CASCO – Michael Wolfe gave up bicycling after his 10-year-old son, Michael Edward, died in a 1996 car accident. Wolfe had lost some of his ardor for the outdoors and his bike was left to collect dust.

But a year ago, he met his partner, Barbara Fogarty, and an idea came together.

“For six years, since I lost my son, I was trying to think of ways to honor his memory. I wanted to do it for a cause, and I looked around for quite a while for a charity,” said Wolfe, 42.

Wolfe, the postmaster in Mechanic Falls, took his plan to Camp Sunshine, which hosts free summer sessions for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

Wolfe and Fogarty planned to bicycle across the country, from Washington to Maine, in 42 days, covering 3,590 miles. In the process, they would raise enough money to send 40 families to the camp in Casco.

The two bikers each sent 300 to 400 letters to businesses and organizations, promoting their fund-raiser, which they called “A Ride for the Son.”

“All-in-all, this is my first attempt at fund raising. I guess over $33,000 for my first try isn’t bad,” said Wolfe moments after completing the trip on Wednesday.

More than 300 guests, staff and friends cheered as a tired Wolfe and Fogarty rolled into camp.

“I pulled around the corner and saw all those people there cheering, the sheer enthusiasm they showed . . . I just kind of lost it there for a while,” Wolfe said.

A police escort and State Senate President Richard Bennett and others on bicycles joined Wolfe and Fogarty near Lake Region High School for the final leg.

The two cyclists racked up more than 1,000 miles of training prior to starting out, and covered between 56 and 119 miles a day.

“Even though my fitness level was very good, I had never done anything of this magnitude, and the mental part is extremely difficult,” Wolfe said. “The country we biked through was eye-opening and breathtaking. Barbara was definitely the rock on this trip. She’s a tremendous cyclist and motivator – she was always ready to go.”