On August 25, 2007, I’ll be riding in the second annual Last Mile Ride to benefit end-of-life care at Gifford Memorial Hospital in my home state of Vermont.

I’ll be riding to honor the memory of Charles “Shod” McCullough, and to raise money for this exceptional non-profit hospital.

On February 15, 2007, Shod passed away from cancer in the Garden Room at Gifford with family members by his side. Designed for terminally ill patients who are unable to die at home, the Garden Room is a special garden-side private suite for dying patients and their families, located in the hospital’s medical-surgical unit. The Gifford mission is to make the dying process as comfortable as possible and to relieve as much suffering as possible for the patient and family.

When I discovered that Gifford was coordinating a motorcycle ride to raise funds for its end-of-life services, I knew I had to do it as a memorial to Shod and to honor a family that I’ve grown to love as my own. Please read more on how you can help me reach my fundraising goal of $10,000, or join me on the ride…