Cross country bicycle ride raises awareness for ALS

Michael Myers had been on the job only one month when he learned the story of co-worker, Leo Cooney, and knew he had to make a difference.

A package arrived on a job site, a rarity in the electrical business. Inside, a baseball cap with a Friends of Leo logo.

Inquisitive, Myers asked about the significance of the cap.

Co-workers shared Cooney's story and it hit home.

"It hit me kind of hard because my dad had MS, a different disease but fairly similar, it affects the nervous system," Myers said.

His dad lived with MS for 35 years.

"ALS moves very fast. It's two to five years.

As an electrician with McDonald Electrical, IBEW Local 103, in Boston, Myers started reading about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease and learned more about Cooney's diagnosis.

"After watching two videos of Leo, I knew I had to do something," Myers told the Advocate-Messenger staff, Tuesday, during a visit at The Office, in Clearwater.

The first video, filmed in 2017, showed Cooney talking about his ALS diagnosis.

The second, filmed two years later, featured Cooney petting his dog, while a friend spoke on his behalf.

Myers contacted his employer, Tom Cooney, and proposed a plan: bike 4,000 miles across the United States to raise awareness and funds for ALS.

"I said 'Tom, this may sound a little weird, a little strange, but I have an idea. I want to ride my bicycle across the country and raise money for Friends of Leo.' It was the first time we ever met. Just the story hit me hard."

Cooney, Leo's brother, approved of the idea.

A group, Friends of Leo, was formed and along with the local electrical union's support, Myers set off on a two-month journey, which started in Astoria, Oregon, at Ft. Stevens State Park, on June 16 and will end in Boston. A return date to Massachusetts has not been set.

He rides between 50 and 70 miles per day.

Prior to leaving Boston, the Red Sox asked Myers to throw the first pitch at a game held during Major League Baseball's ALS Week.

"They heard the story so it was all tied together," Myers said.

The attention from the Sox drew attention.

"It was quite neat," he said.

"There's been a lot of interest in the story."

Myers said while he is the only one riding cross country, raising funds for research is a team effort.

"There are a lot of people at home working behind the scenes," he said. "It keeps growing."

An avid cyclist, Myers has biked through 41 states and 30 countries. In the past, he has completed cross country rides for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, honoring his father who was diagnosed with MS, and for the National breast cancer Foundation, in honor of a cousin.

Myers is documenting his journey online, sharing photos of the places he visits and people he meets.

"Everyone has a story, everyone knows a family member or friend or co-worker has ALS or had ALS and they want to share their stories," Myers said. "I share my story and the next thing you know, they've donated."

Since starting the trip, Myers has raised more than $86,000.

His goal: $103,000.

Why that amount?

"Our local IBW number is 103," Myers said.

When he reached Valentine earlier this week, he met a fellow cyclist - Rich Bennet - from Michigan, who trekked the Cowboy Trail with Myers to Norfolk, where they plan to part ways. Bennet will take a northern bent to return home to Michigan, while Myers will continue to Muscatine, Iowa, before cycling across Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York before connecting to Boston.

The trip along the trail in the Cornhusker State has provided multiple experiences of Midwestern hospitality.

When he arrives in a town along the route, Myers bikes through the town, sometimes stopping to take photos, other times stopping for a break.

In Long Pine, Myers and Bennet met a local cyclist, who invited them to the Hidden Paradise area for dinner and a trip down the stream.

And, in Clearwater, the riders received gifts of J and J Apiaries honey and bars of goat milk soap, along with a copy of the local paper, to remember their visit.

"The small-town hospitality has been great," he said.

To follow Myers' adventure, visit the blog at https://www.classy.org/campaign/cross-country-for-a-cure/c337220