Welcome!
Welcome
Welcome to the 2015 Michigan Great Lakes West Ride Team!
We are certain you will find the Ride to Cure Diabetes a wonderful, life changing adventure. We hope you will
find it enjoyable, challenging but most of all rewarding. The work you will do to get to your Ride Day is twofold,
the physical training and fundraising; we don’t promise that it will always be easy, but we do ensure that
whether training or fundraising we’re here to help you exceed your goals!
Our team is blessed to be led by five amazing coaches, Derek Dykstra, Mike Clark, Kaat Tahy, Sarah Andro and
Mark Macheca
Derek has been coaching the MI Great Lakes West team for 4 years, he’s been participating in the Ride since
2005. Derek has been to many of the sites as a Rider, Coach or working in the bike room and has a great
understanding about what it is going to take to get you ready for each of the Ride venues.
Mike has been coaching our team since the beginning (2005) and has been a national head coach since 2009,
and bike room support at each Ride venue since 2008. You don’t have to be a math wiz to realize that is a LOT
of rides. Mike's goal is to do whatever he can to ensure that every rider has the experience they are seeking
while training, fundraising, or riding at any of the JDRF Rides. He will tell you he’s honored and humbled to be a
part of something as worthy and powerful as the Ride to Cure Diabetes and has proven that with his unfailing
dedication to the Ride program. We are so lucky to have these two amazing guys as our chapter coaches!
Sarah is our newest coach but she rode Death Valley w/ the 1st ever West Mi Team and it's been great to have
her back w/ us for the past few years and as we roar into our 2nd decade! She rides for her daughter Sophie,
her Mom and carries the memory of her Dad w/ her on every mile. She's excited to "step it up a notch" and add
her passion and talents to the team as she dons the coach's red jersey in 2015...and we're excited to have her.
She's ridden in Death Valley many times, as well as Nashville in 2013.
Cathy "Kaat" returns for her 2nd year as a team coach - ready as ever to share her prodigious cycling
background w/ riders both new & expert. A veteran of Rides in Death Valley, Lake Tahoe & Nashville -she's
been involved w/ the team since 2009. She's volunteered in the Bike Rooms of Nashville and Death Valley as
well. Well known in the area for riding and racing on bikes of all types, she also coordinates the "HellKaat
Hundie" - Michigan's only 100 mile gravel race - as a JDRF fund-raiser. She's eager to get 2015 rolling and can't
wait to roll with you.
Mark and the Northern Indiana Riders are the newest addition to the Michigan Great Lakes West Team, but
they are not new to JDRF. Mark has been the Northern Indiana Coach for many years and Rides for his son.
Mark is also taking on a new challenge this year by competing in his first Iron Man Triathlon.
We look forward to working with you through this Ride season to make this your most successful season ever!
Ride on! Mike, Derek, Kaat, Mark, Sarah and Kim
Important Contacts— Coaches and Committee
Your Coaches:
THE go– to guys for cycling, your bike or training questions.
Mike Clark
[email protected]
Derek Dykstra
[email protected]
Sarah Andro
[email protected]
Kaat Tahy
[email protected]
Mark Macheca
[email protected] (Northern Indiana Coach)
Your Ride Committee:
This busy group schedules, and will keep you up to date on, team happenings including fundraising opportunities, socials, as well
as the all-important training rides.
Tom Miller, Committee Chair - [email protected]
Cindy Aley, Van Andel Fundraising Coordinator - [email protected]
Mary Scheidel, Communications Chair
Becky Machuta, Member-at-Large
Derek Dykstra, Coach
Mike Clark, Coach
Kim Monks, JDRF Staff
Sarah Andro, Coach
Mark Macheca, Coach
Kaat Tahy, Coach
Stay Connected:
Ride Team Facebook: Mi Great Lakes West Chapter Bike Team
Ride Blog and Calendar: http://jdrfwestmichiganride.blogspot.com/
Chapter Website: greatlakeswest.jdrf.org
Chapter Facebook: Mi Great Lakes West Chapter
Important Contacts—Staff
Your Chapter Office:
The chapter office is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. Please feel free mail or drop off your fundraising
checks here. We may have materials you’d like to use for fundraising, paper sneakers, banners, etc. If you’re going to stop in,
we advise you to call first. With a small staff, there are occasional times that the office may be unattended.
JDRF MI Great Lakes West
4595 Broadmoor Ave. SE, Suite 230
Kentwood, MI 49512
616.957.1838
Your Staff Partners:
Kim Monks , Sr. Development Manager [email protected]
Kim is here to assist with anything Ride. She works with the committee, orders materials, is your go to for any general
Ride Program questions and will be in touch with Gold Riders for travel and bike shipping. Kim is also a fellow Rider.
Elizabeth Pike, Office Manager - [email protected]
Elizabeth is here to help with all your Participant Center questions and receipts for donations. Elizabeth also enters
your contributions into your Ride account.
Julie Gross, Development Manager - [email protected]
Julie works with other fundraising programs, but you’ll run into her when you stop into the office or call. You may find
Julie on the training rides as well, she’s planning to Ride in LaCrosse this year and has done Death Valley as a rider and
many years as an event volunteer. Even though she doesn't work directly with Ride, she will be most happy to assist as
necessary.
Sam Tidwell, Executive Director - [email protected]
Sam is responsible for overseeing the chapter office and providing leadership and guidance to staff and volunteers. Sam
is always available should you have any questions or concerns in regards to JDRF or our programs and services.
Important Fundraising and Training Opportunities
Fundraising Opportunities:
Van Andel Arena Concessions
Our team has been working the Van Andel Arena concession stands for years, raising over $170,000 to date.
In return for our volunteer help, our team receives a percentage of sales and tips that is distributed among
those that work the events. Bring your friends or family to help and get their portion of the proceeds too!
For more information and upcoming dates, contact Cindy Aley at [email protected]
ODRAM (One Day Ride Across Michigan) - Saturday, August 8, 2015
This is a great way to earn some money for your ride account. ODRAM is in need of volunteers to help with:
registration, ride day set up, take down and clean up, organize and run rest stops, help at lunch stop, help at
after ride celebration picnic, pack bikes and/or drive bike truck
Amount of earnings depends on numbers of ODRAM riders and task(s) completed. If interested please contact Chris Radford ([email protected]), Cindy Aley (cindy_aley@hermanmillercom) or Tom Miller
([email protected]).
Training Rides:
Training Rides will be held roughly 4 times per month at varying locations and times. Schedules are created
three months in advance. The first schedule will be distributed soon. Stay tuned.
Other Important Dates:
January 21, 2015 - Registration Opens
May 11, 2015 - Jake's Music Festival (Fundraiser for fellow Riders, Mary , Tom and Ian Scheidel)
May 26, 2015 - HellKaat Hundie (Michigan's only 100 mile gravel race - coordinated by Coach Kaat as a JDRF
fund-raiser.
July 18, 2015 - Holland 100 (a portion of proceeds benefits JDRF)
August 8, 2015 - ODRAM (come Ride or Volunteer for fundraising)