| Couple hits the road to fight MS |
By: Melissa Kaelin
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Posted: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 10:17 pm
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Carl and Denise Wieman will take their bike to St. Paul on Saturday to participate in the 24th Annual MS Motorcycle Tour.
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By MELISSA KAELIN
mkaelin@owatonna.com
OWATONNA — A disease that affects about 400,000 Americans, with 200 new cases diagnosed every week, is calling Carl and Denise Wieman to the road.
Again.
For seven years, the Wiemans have raised money for research on multiple sclerosis by taking the MS Motorcycle Tour. As they ready their bikes for the tour this weekend, they are about to make that eight. But this year, there are making some changes.
When the 24th Annual MS Motorcycle Tour kicks off on Saturday, the Wiemans are going to bring with them their youngest son, Dan Wieman, and their nephew, Mark Wieman — both men in their 20s.
In fact, the motorcycle tour is becoming a family affair. In fact, Carl Wieman said he first got involved when his uncle Bob Wieman made the trip.
“His goal was to ride until he was 80, then he retired from it,” said Carl Wieman.
Before retiring from the tour, Bob Wieman raised $54,000 for research for a cure for MS. The Wiemans, by their count, have raised a total of $33,000 so far, but they are hoping over the years they can raise at least as much as Bob Wieman.
“Our goal this year is $6,000,” said Carl Wieman. He said right now the Wiemans have about $4,000, but they have turned fundraising into a year-round event.
“For this tour, donations are accepted up to September 15,” said Carl Wieman. “Once we hit that date, we will start on next year’s goal.”
The dedication to the cause comes partially from the family’s history, where MS hits close to home. Lori Serbus, Denise’s niece, struggled with MS for more than 20 years, before she died from complications related to the disease in December 2004.
“My cousin who had it — she was strong-willed and motivated,” said Dan Wieman.
Serbus spent the last 10 years of her life in a wheelchair, and seeing her helpless was more than the Wiemans could take.
“Lori was first diagnosed 25-plus years ago,” said Carl Wieman. “There was no drugs for MS at that time. Now there’s only about four or five drugs that are available and they’re so expensive, it’s unbelievable. That’s where a lot of the money goes — to help develop those drugs.”
The tour will begin with a bike line-up at the State Capitol building in St. Paul. It will take riders on a 450-mile journey over two days time, with riders ending up in St. Croix Valley Falls, Wisc. Riders will stay at Telemark Resort in Cable, Wisc., Saturday night, and participate in a banquet centered around the MS Society’s mission.
But Carl Wieman said the hardest part of the trip is crossing the finish line.
“When you get to the finish, some of the people with MS are there to greet you,” said Carl Wieman. “They’re so appreciative of every little bit that people do for them.”
Carl Wieman said many of the people who come out each year have become close friends, and he has no plans to pull out of the tour in the foreseeable future.
“It’s a very god ride for a good cause, and it’s beautiful scenery,” said Carl Wieman. “We ride for those who cannot ride.”
The Wieman’s will accept tax deductible pledges through September. Anyone interested in making a pledge can send donations to Carl and Denise Wieman, 524 Glendale St., Owatonna, MN 55060. Checks should be made out to the The MS Society.
Melissa Kaelin can be reached at 444-2372.
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