The Post-Crescent: Document Display

First Appeared in the The Post-Crescent East July 8, 2007

Mom receives national recognition for volunteer work
Toni Hoh, Post-Crescent

If participants in this year's Tour de Fest bike ride in Kimberly feel a little push now and then during their trek, it could be from a little angel named Abby nudging them along.

Tour de Fest exists because of Abby Van Dyke, who lost a battle with leukemia when she was only 5. Less than two months later, Abby's mom, Wendy Van Dyke of Kimberly, began channeling her grief into Team in Training, a program of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society that helps people train for long-distance bike rides to benefit the organization.

"There's healing in it," Van Dyke said. "I think there's been a ton of that. That's maybe why I continue doing it. You live day-to-day and deal with what you have to deal with at the time."

Two years ago, Van Dyke took her inspiration a step further and launched Tour de Fest, a bike ride that coincides with Kimberly's annual Paperfest. This year's ride is July 21. It begins and ends at Sunset Park.

Under Van Dyke's tutelage, the event drew more than 150 riders and raised more than $5,000 each of the first two years. While she is taking a step back from heading Tour de Fest this year, Van Dyke remains involved. In fact, she is looking forward to actually being able to participate as a rider.

"I definitely want to stay involved," she said. "I am excited about this becoming a bigger event and bigger fundraiser for the society."

"Wendy did a very nice job of getting everything organized. There are a lot of things to do, and Wendy had a lot of those things mapped out," said Paul Driessen, long-time bike rider and Tour de Fest participant, who has taken the reins from Van Dyke. "She's just a fantastic lady."

Proceeds from this year's event will be split between the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin-Fox Valley.

"We want to kind of broaden our effort and yet make it something more regionally recognized," Driessen said. "I thought the society and Children's Hospital was a perfect fit."

Van Dyke recently completed her sixth 100-mile bike ride in Lake Tahoe, Calif., having ridden in the first one less than four months after losing Abby.

"I have met a lot of families along the way who have kids with cancer," Van Dyke said. "Some are still here, some are not. I try to stay in touch and do what I can to help. Being a mom who had a child with cancer, I know how scary it is and how you feel."

Unwavering dedication to the fight against blood cancers earned Van Dyke a national Chairman's Citation award from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The award, presented during a send-off party for TNT members heading out to Lake Tahoe, recognizes outstanding accomplishments of individuals across the nation.

Van Dyke takes part in the WAPL radiothon, where she speaks about society events and participates in the Light the Night Walk, a annual event in Appleton that memorializes people who have lost their lives to blood cancers and honors those still doing battle.

The majority of the $20,000 raised by Van Dyke each year for the society comes from a letter-writing campaign.

"I just write these letters, and I talk about Abby or I talk about our honored patient who oftentimes is a small child," Van Dyke said.

"It's been that way every since," Van Dyke said. "It's just incredible. There are so many people I don't even know that I write to. They saw articles that first year and strangers would just send money and they've continued to send it every year. The award was great, but the credit really goes to the families and friends and the community we live in."

Early registration for Tour de Fest ends Monday, but registration is available right up through the day of the event. For more information, call Paul Driessen at 920-739-3125 or e-mail him at tourdefest@paperfest.com. More information about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society can be found at www.LLS.org or by calling the Society's Northeast Regional Office in Menasha at 920-968-1340. To learn more about Team in Training, visit www.teamintraining.org/wi.