Despite our most careful planning, the road of life can be unpredictable. After completing a little over 600 miles on his bicycle, our friend Ed Brennan had to cut Cycling for Creativity 2024 short,
due to days of inclement weather (with more in the forecast) coupled with a bought of illness.
Since 2022, Ed has been going on long distance bicycle rides each summer to raise awareness and funds for our organization. His daughter Kelsey lives in one of our residences, attends our Site-Based Day Habilitation Program, and takes classes in our Arts Program. Ed’s odysseys are self-supported. He has no nearby assistance and he chooses his path entirely on his own. His ultimate goal is to travel all the way from Albany, New York to Albany, Oregon by completing different 
legs each year.
This summer, Ed’s travels began with an Amtrak ride to Minneapolis, MN, where the avid cyclist successfully completed a three day American Cyclists Instructor Certification course before putting on his helmet and beginning his journey. His route through Minnesota took him past Lake Minnetonka and through the cities of Chanhassen, Hutchinson, Redwood Falls, and Marshall.
From there, it was across state lines to South Dakota! There, Ed saw the “World’s Largest Pheasant,” an 80 foot statue of a brontosaurus, one of the hometowns of Laura Ingalls Wilder (the author of The Little House on the Prairie books), the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, and the beautiful Dignity statue, honoring the cultures of the Lakota and Dakota Native American people. Ed also ate breakfast at a restaurant operating out of an old railroad dining car and swapped stories with a team of bicyclists from the University of Illinois, who were also on a cross-county charity ride, raising funds towards a cure for cancer.
Thank you, Ed, for your dedication, year after year, to this athletic endeavor! We are so inspired by your travels and tenacity. If you would like to make a donation to our organization in honor of Ed’s journey, click here to visit our donations page.
