Friday May 29th ... The Journey continues !!!

Today began the REAL part of my test ... To see just what fun or mischief or support or encouragement I can possibly get into or create ... It all depends on one's individual perspective ... I think I am here for the fun but I KNOW I a me here to raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis and to ride for everyone that suffers or lives with this disease !!!

My journey began last Saturday, May 23rd, from the parking lot at Tanglewood Mall with about 25 or so of my best friends there to wish me well !!! Since then, I have ridden just under 2,000  miles and probably have nearly 10,000 more ahead of me !!!

As Carl and I headed out today ... The reality hit me that I was beginning ,my next major life dream ... I am blessed to have realized so many dreams ... Just one major one remains elusive ... Finding a cure for this disease called M.S. ,!! But you can help me with that dream by making a donation today !!! ALL monies donated go to help folks diagnosed with M.S. In the Virginia/West Virginia Chapter with special needs and to send monies to help with research in hopes of onte day finding the cure !!! None of the monies go toward funding this trip ... That is small on me !!! Soo PLEASE, if you haven't already, make that tax deductible gift today by clicking on the DONATION link at the top of the ms ride webpage.

Tog day's ride was 98percent Interstate with no real traffic problems albeit a bit congested in the  Nashville area ... No ordeals at all and only a couple small showers along the way to co cool us off on a warm day !!! Tomorrow we hope to do far more riding on the back roads visiting the States of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri and Arkansas bringing my total number of States visited to seven.  Hopefully to be near 20 total by the end of this ride !!!

And my thank you for today i.long overdue ... It is to Susan Shepardson ... My Susan who to
Legates me, puts up with me and even loves me to boot !!! As I do her !!! Without Susan, I could not be where I am today !!!  THANK YOU !!!

Friday ... I am back !!!

Hello ALL !!! Did y'all miss me ??? Well ... I missed y'all !!! It was a good 4 days in Tennessee riding with all my new friends from the HMRC out of Cape Cod, MA. We stayed in a beautiful 8 bedroom house over looking a wonderful lake. There were about 14. Of us in all with 4 married couples and about 9 guys riding and having a fantastic time with such rides as The Snake and The Devils Triangle ... How could it be anything but fun !!!

Everyone made me feel special and accepted. Sometimes, as the 'new person' in a group, one may feel distant and left out but, not with this bunch ,!! I had a blast ... I did those previously.mentioned rides and felt as though I was holding my own on those switchback curves and fast rolling hills ... I know my smile was as big as the hills we were ascending and descending !!! I told Susan that had she been ridining with me I would have had her nails buried a half inch into my shoulders ... She replied "you think so? " to which I responded "NO ... You would have killed me long before then !!!"

But it was a great four days and I was sad to see everyone pull out this morning ... All headed our separate ways ,,, some back home to the Cape .... Others to Nashville to continue their vacation while Carl and myself returned to our journey West ... Two old friends continuing their dream that was begun 13 years ago as two guys joined up for a ride across the New Mexico desert floor into Tucumcari ... Little did we realize just how much that ride would change lives ... Mostly our lives but surely for the best !!!

But enough of that dream for now ... Let's go back into thee reality of this ride ... One big reason I am here is to raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis ... I don't know how many times a day I share the story in hopes that it may spark a difference. In someone's life AND to ask folks to please sponsor me by clicking on the DONATION link on the ms ride website and making a donation today ... nO gift is too small !PLEASE make that tax deductible gift now !!! I thank you along with everyone else living with this disease !!!

And now. That I am back ... Please continue to follow this old dreamer's journey across America for M.S. ,!!

Into the Wilds!

Kenny is traveling the beautiful back roads of Tennessee and is out of Internet range. Check back Friday evening...he should be back to civilization by then.

Sunday May 23rd Winchester, VA to Wytheville, Va 360 miles

Hello everyone from Wytheville!!!  sorry for late  entry but this hotel had no media center and it took. Some lucky work to get Carl's IPad loaded with my blog ,,' Today's ride was quite amazing riding through the bAck roads of West Virginia.   Although there was ONE mo,meant today that gave me a start ... About noon timed we stopped for lunch ... One person had gone ahead to WalMart and U THOUGHT WE WEREGOING TO WAIT FOR THEIR RETURN ... WRONG !!,

AS I was standing there! The bikes started up And began rolling out ?.." I hurdle got on my bike ... Not something I do easily or quickly !!! In my haste I forgot to put my cane in luggage
Space or put on my riding gloves ... Both ended up on the ground and I had. To get off.
The trike and start all over ... In the meantime, everyone had left ... One rider realizing my plight did come back and get me so all ended well !!!

So here we are in Wytheville tonight .... We cleaned up and went out to dinner with my new friends .." The High Mileage Riding Club from Cape Cod, Massachusetts .... The way this group has hewn there to look after me especially since they just met me is the reason they are getting my THANK YOU for today!!!

And speaking of helping me ... Or helping ALL of us with Multiple Sclerosis ... Please consider making a donation today as many already helped me and U.S. And for that I sincere,lye thank you '!! For those who haven't yet ... I ask that you click on the donation link at the top of ms ride.org today ... Every gift helps and no gift is to small !!!

And JI especially apologized for all the typos this evening as I struggled with this IPad ... Please come back tomorrow as we head into a new State for. More adventures !!! I thank you for being here !!! Kenny

Saturday May 23rd Roanoke, VA to Winchester, VA

My first day in the saddle began with a nice ride in my '99 Porsche 911 to breakfast in Rocky Mt., VA fcor breakfast at the Hub Restraunt.  A quaint little spot that I often had lunch at when I was a State P.O.back from '88 to '92.  Then it was home to finish my prep for being gone for 5-6 weeks !!!

I knew the local M. S. Support group was planning a "send off" but I was truly shocked when I  rode in and saw nearly 25 folks there that had interrupted their Saturday to come see me off !!!  I was truly moved by the moment and after photos taken ... I set out for my first ride of this journey !!!!  The ride was less than 200 miles today and traffic pn I-81 was quite pleasant !!!

When I arrived in Winchester, I found that Carl and his group had already checked on and had gome downtown for some food.  I ran into Robbie, who was joining our troop for only a couple days.  It was good to catch up with him.I tghen called Susan to let her know of my safe arrival and was updated on the status of our "kids" ... Beau and Rufus ... our two 90 pound Chocolate Labs !!!  SUSAN HAD BEEN SURPRISED TO HEAR THEM HOWLING AS AN AMBULANCE PASSED BY !!!  HOPEFULLY THE ONLY EXCITEMENT FOR THE EVENING !!!! Whoops ... there goes that "caps" key again !!! ;)

Then off for a quick dinner, do a brief journal entry, sshowews and off to bed ... We are only slated for about 250 miles tomorrow ... not bad as Carl and his group had ridden just over 600 miles today !!!


My thanks for today belongs to the Roanoke Self Help Support Group for showing up today and giving me such a wonderful start to this adventure !!!@  It included a nic e prayer for my protection and concluded with a bunc h of hugs from the group !!!  A GREAT way to start ANY trip as far as I am concerned !!!  Thank you to EVERYONE that was there in person and/or in spirit !!!

Please check back tomorrow to see what happens and be sure to share this site with at least one person by tomorrow night !!!  And for those checking in for the first time ... zi am on this journey to raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis and to raise some monies to help thos folks diagnosed with this disease in the Virginia/West Virginia Chapter and to send money forf research in finding a c ure as, mpre than anything, I want to one day see a world free of M.S. !!!  Please go to my website at msride.org and c lick on the donation lonk at the top of that page TODAY !!!  Many folks already have and I give a hearty thank you to each of you !!!  Please do it today... don't wait for tomorrow as we only have today to begin realizing a dream as tomorrow is always a day away !!!  Tune in tomorrow for tghe next chapter in this saga !!!

BLESS YOU AND GOOD NIGHT !!! Kenny

Friday May 22nd

Hello my FRIENDS !!!  Finished packing this evening and have the trike almost loaded out.  It has been a bit of a good but hectic day ... The good involved lunch with friends and former co-workers ... Such a pleasant group of former probation officers and a few of their sidekicks, spouses and otherwise best friends !!!  They came together kindof an impromptu gathering to break some bread and wish me Godspeed in my journey !!!

Then ran a few errands with Susan and came home to try and make a few phone calls to get my hand crank trike repaired.  It seems my frame broke during a ride earlier this week and I was in contact with the company I purchased it from and just trying to work out the logistics of it all while I was still in town.  Fortunately, I have Bob Stinnett with Cardinal Bicycle covering my bases while I am on the road ... I am in good hands and thankful for that !!!

And after I returned home I received a text from one of my traveling companions, Carl, asking it I were ready >!>  Well ... ready or not !!!  It seems Carl and his group from Cape Cod are leaving there about 4:00 a.m. in the morning and headed to Winchester, VA where I will meet them tomorrow. 

Before then I am getting a real send off with some of my friends from our local M.S. Support group meeting me at Tanglewood Mall at 1:30 tomorrow afternoon !!!  What a special opportunity to be sent off by some of the folks I ghare this "stuff" aka: M.S. ... One day I hope we can all gather to celebrate the victory of beating this disease and we will ALL have had a part in making this dream come true !!!

Today, I wish to give my thanks to this group ... and everyone else that deals with M.S. ... whether as one that lives with it, a family member, co-worker, friend or whatever connection you have to this "stuff" ... I thank you because I KNOW I have your support, prayers and encouragement while I am off on this ride !!!  Thank EACH of you !!!

Flying "solo" for the first time ...

Well, here is my first post on my own ... I'm wondering if my typing this is in vane or will it be triumphant ?!?  In any case ... I'm giving it a go.  I am not downloading any photos today but have been given lessons in that aspect too ... But there is only so much an ole dog cam comprehend at a time !!!  ;)

In any case, I am hoping that you might find time to check this old og out and see how I fare in this journey across our large and wonderful United States !!!  This is assuming and provided that the establishments we stay in have "media centers" or a computer available to keep everyone caught up !!!

Kind words, thoughts and prayers will be readily accepted as this old body attempts to do something that will be an arduous task for a younger and completely healthy man !!!  But that has been my life so why should I try and changes things at this point !!!

I'm just asking for you to follow along, enjoy the journey as much as I am sure I will and drop me a note or comment along the way if you so desire !!!  And as I did in my jounal from my International Falls, MN to New Orleans ride in '06 ... I offered my thanks each day for something or someone that has helped me in m\preparing for this journey ... I will save my most noted help for my first riding day but for today, I thank Beth Garst with Howlin' Dog Designs who helped me at short notice to make this blog possible !!!

HELLO ALL !!!  

I am still a "newby". Please bear with me as I learn how to post.

Meet Kenny Wingfield

Riding on the Greenway

This blog is devoted to MS-150 Lifetime Rider Kenny Wingfield. In addition to riding in more than 30 MS-150 tours. He has ridden from Los Angeles, CA to Boston, MA in 2002 and International Falls, MN to New Orleans, LA in 2006. All in a continued effort to raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis and to find a cure to this devastating disease. Since 1991, Kenny has ridden over 10,000 miles to raise money for research in curing MS.

"It hasn't always been a flat road with the wind at my back. In addition to dealing with Multiple Sclerosis, many obstacles have crossed my path over the years. Please take a moment to visit my website to read why this ride and cause is so important to me."

Since September 2014, I have been training hard on my "hand crank" trike to ride in this years MS-150. After receiving a call from a friend my plans have changed. I will now be leaving Roanoke on May 24th on my 2014 Harley Triglide and will be headed West all the way to the Pacific Ocean and return.

Plans are to ride through such sites as Death Valley, Yosemite, Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks and visit several friends along this trek. We may even roll through the Badlands and visit Sturgis before returning home. This trip is slated to last at least six weeks and cover almost 10,000 miles.

To sponsor Kenny, please call the Virginia/West Virginia Chapter at 1-800-344-4867 or email Kenny at kennyw@rev.net to make arrangements to send a personal check, which must be made out to the M.S. Society. My mode of transportation and distance traveled may have changed this year but my cause and desire to see a world free of MS remains as strong as ever !!!

Kenny would like to hear from you! Send him your support through email at kennyw@rev.net.