Raymond and Colby Mickel completed their 2015 Ride for Cancer Saturday May 2, on the recently completed Lafayette Bike Trail. They started at the Hal W. Adams Bridge on the Lafayette side of the Suwannee River and headed south down SR 51. The trail turns east on CR 354 and continues to SR 27 where it ends. 

The round trip took almost three hours with breaks and lunch. The trail is nice and wide, and very smooth. They saw six deer along the way. In one of the photos there are actually two deer standing behind the boys in the fox pen at the very end of the grassy right of way. 

The day started out nice and cool around 59 degrees, and only reached 72 by the end of their ride. The sky was the most beautiful blue, without a cloud in sight. It was probably the best day ever in the 10-year history of their Ride’s for Cancer. They did joke about as they get older, their bike seats seem to get harder, but besides that, not one problem arose, which is extremely rare. 

The Lafayette Bike Trail is an excellent riding trail, and not too terribly long. The bike trail would be wonderful for a half day of family fun, while experiencing a wonderful piece of natural Florida. A couple of roads off the Lafayette Bike Trail route you to a small public boat ramp on the Suwannee River, and to the Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort & Campground, if you want to take a detour to the historic Suwannee River and Convict Springs.

All the money the boys raise from their ride goes directly to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Thanks to your generous support to LLS, this is a new world. Like Raymond, hundreds of thousands of children diagnosed with blood cancer are today living normal and productive lives. LLS is at the threshold of amazing breakthroughs for children with blood cancers. Your money accelerates miraculous new treatments and healing therapies once thought impossible. Cures today, NOT someday. That’s the GOAL. And you are at the heart of it!

If you would like to donate to their ride, please make checks payable to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and mail it to: Raymond & Colby’s 2015 Ride for Cancer, 16151 198 Terrace, O’Brien, Fla. 32071.