Community Corner
One Woman's Cycling, Hiking and Running for a Cause
Each year since 2006, Royal Oak resident Linda Aardema has completed numerous half marathons, trekked the Grand Canyon, hiked Yosemite and the Smokey Mountains and cycled hundreds of miles in various events to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). The mission of the LLS is to find cures for these ravenous blood cancers while also improving the quality of life for patients and their families. Aardema begins her training with the LLS’s Team in Training each January to ensure her fitness for these endeavors. So do approximately 500 others from Metro Detroit who also gather financial pledges of support for the cause. It’s an amazing and inspiring effort by the team. But even more amazing is the fact that Aardema is a senior citizen with the endurance and athletic abilities of a much younger woman. Her dedication to help funding research to find a cure has led her to cycle 220 miles from Seattle to Portland, as well as century rides (100 miles each) in Tucson, Lake Tahoe and Asheville. This year she’ll pedal 100 miles on June 15 to complete the Big Mac Shoreline - her 16th event for the LLS. She'll cycle another 188 miles from Seattle to Vancouver in August for her 17th event. She will finish the 2014 season with the Woman's Nike Half Marathon in San Francisco in October and a rugged hike in Joshua Tree National Park in November for her 18th and 19th events.
Her zeal for making a difference to the LLS’s mission began shortly after the loss of her husband. At the same time, Aardema ws working in therapy with a six-year-old Leukemia patient who, after losing her hair to chemo, suffered humiliation from a classmate who repeatedly called her “baldy.” Aardema immediately began raising funds to provide the child with a wig. This year she will ride with 62 ribbons on her backpack, honoring those she knows who are currently in treatment or in memory of those who have, sadly, lost their battle.
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You, too, can help. To join the fun at the silent auction, stop in to the Beverly Hills Club at any time during the day. Bidding will close at 7:00 p.m. Those wishing to contribute merchandise or a service gift certificate to the auction to benefit the LLS, should contact Linda Aardema at 248-321-1818 by Sunday, April 27.