Category / March of Dimes

by Kilby

A Message from Robin Bickel

Last week Robin sent some news, following up with “…feel free to share my post with the group! I am so happy that CIDU continues to be a place where people can actually converse in a civilized manner. Sadly, that seems to be less and less the norm every day.“, and adding that she “…will be sure to share news with the group during the [coming] year.”

I’ve added some relevant links and footnotes to Robin’s message:

Hope this little note finds everyone well at CIDU land! The boys and I are doing well and as it’s already the end of November. (Where does the time go?)
I’m gearing up for holiday cards.† If anyone would like a card designed by the ever talented Zak, please drop me a line (even if you’ve gotten a card in years past).†
Aaron and Mary Cate hosted a bike-a-thon to raise money for the rare disease Charcot Marie Tooth (which Mary Cate has).‡ It was a huge success, and they’ll be doing it again next September. I’ll send out an e-mail next summer in case people would like to donate or participate. It was a lot of fun.
Zachary is still working hard making the business section of the NY Times all pretty. You can check out his Instagram at authenticzakbickel if you’d like to see his work.
Eight of us (including Aaron and Zak) went to Vienna for a week. Not only did we eat fabulous food, see amazing architecture and really great museums, we also saw the government apartment building where my father-in-law lived when he was a young child.
Happy Holidays everyone!

P.S. (†) – From last year’s holiday card reminder: send the e-mail to “robinbickel (at) gmail.com“, and put CIDU in the subject line. If you’d like, you can send Robin a card to 43 Peace Rd, Randolph, NJ 07869.

P.P.S. (‡) – The link goes to Bill’s most recent (2020) Walkathon post, in which Aaron gave some basic information about CMT and their fundraising. Please note that the link listed there for Mary Cate’s fundraising page is no longer in service.

by CIDU Bill

The Walkathon

In a fine bit of timing, I completed the Central Park to Battery Park walk just a few hours before the temperature dropped dramatically and three days of cold, hard rain began.

(To the uninitiated, Central Park is — logically — in the middle of Manhattan Island, and Battery Park is at the southern tip — as in “The Bronx is up and the Battery’s down’)

We ended at $1,172 (not counting the $780 my son collected up in Boston).

Central Park

Starting point, Central Park. I could have gone inside the Park to take photos, but then I’d have found myself walking around and I had enough walking to do.

Working my way down Broadway (totally off-topic, if you’re interested in New York City history, this book is really good; I kept in in mind as I walked), I passed Time Square. The photos are NSFW (though you have to look at them pretty carefully), so they’re posted — with explanation — here.

And then five miles later, Battery Park

Liberty

MoD Cap

Okay, we’re not looking at a Pulitzer Prize for photojournalism here, but I figured I should post some visual record of the Walk.

Thanks again to everybody!

 

 

 

by CIDU Bill

It’s April, so it’s time for the March

marchofdimes
[Please click logo]

I need to edit this logo: it should read “March of Dimes celebrates 27 years of the Bickels walking around in circles every April.”

Or better yet, “17 years of the CIDU Community supporting the Bickels walking around in circles.”

Last year, to the tune of $1467.

Funny story about that, I actually: a couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail, from my own e-mail address, that had been queued up to be sent in mid March, reading simply “1467.” No explanation, no dollar sign, no context of any sort. My first thought was this must be some sort of spam, sent from a spoofed return address. I couldn’t figure out what anybody had to gain from it, though.

And if it was something I’d written, why would Bill From Sometime in the Past send me this number? Did he assume it would have some meaning to me?

Maybe Bill From the Future found a way to send me today’s winning lottery number?

Well, obviously this is an anecdote told backwards, since you all know I was simply reminding myself of last year’s final MoD total; but it took a couple of days before I suddenly realized what Bill From the Past had been trying to tell me.

by CIDU Bill

March of Dimes

MOD 2018Please click the graphic to donate

Okay, getting a bit of a late start this year…

The New Jersey walkathon takes place April 29. but we’re all going to be in Chicago that weekend. When first I asked, I was told the Chicago walk was scheduled for mid-May. This was disheartening, since we’ve been doing this very year, rain or shine — occasionally rain — since 1993, and it would take until just short of my 87th birthday to complete another 25-year run.

But I re-checked yesterday, and sure enough the Chicago walk is going to be April 29 after all. So twenty-five years after my son and I started doing this together (at his suggestion), we’re going to show Chicago how walkathons are walked (and then head over to Wrigley Field).

For the past 14 years, you guys have been my partners in this as well, always (collectively) my biggest sponsors. And every single year you’ve donated more than the year before, which is extraordinary. I know that’s a tough goal this year because a) late start, b) people are still re-finding the site after January’s disaster, and c) last year’s $1312 was really a lot of money. So whatever we raise, even if it’s not $1313, will be great.

($1313 would just be greater, is all…)