Give Back Adventures

Give Back Adventures Adventures/Expeditions for the purpose of raising awareness & funds for charitable organizations.

Day 77 — The Finish Line | West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, MEAfter 77 days, 4,871 miles, and 183,789 feet of climbing, I ar...
10/17/2025

Day 77 — The Finish Line | West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, ME

After 77 days, 4,871 miles, and 183,789 feet of climbing, I arrived at Quoddy Head Lighthouse — the easternmost point in the continental U.S. This is where my Ride Across America for Hospice Care ends… but its purpose lives on.

Before the first pedal stroke, I set out to honor four people whose lives inspired this journey — Marion Silva, Beverly Cavalli, Roger Smith, and Jim Foust. Their love, strength, and courage became the foundation of every mile.

This ride was also built around ten weekly dedications to people from my community who received hospice care. Before starting this journey, I interviewed their families so their voices could lead each week and share how hospice supported their loved ones. Those ten individuals — Marv Hampton, Wyman Dickerson, Len Jagoda, Hazel Toma Brooks, Percy Taylor, Mike Ryan, Ralph Merzlak, Christine (“Chrissy”) Nelson, Christine (“Chris”) Molinelli, and Linda Tarantino — became the heart of this journey.

Through headwinds, cold mornings, and steep climbs, I carried their stories with me — and they carried me. Every mile was for them, and for everyone whose life has been touched by hospice care.

To everyone who followed, encouraged, donated, and believed — thank you. You’ve helped shine a light on the compassion, dignity, and love that hospice brings to families everywhere.

And to the incredible staff and volunteers of Hospice of Amador and Calaveras — thank you for the tireless, compassionate care you provide every day.

I also want to give a huge thanks to my wife, Andrea — my greatest supporter and someone who knows firsthand the importance of hospice care. She not only encouraged me every step of the way, but also helped care for her Uncle Tom during the final weeks of his hospice journey.

From Cape Flattery to West Quoddy Head — two oceans, one country, and a journey of purpose that will stay with me forever.

Please help support Hospice of Amador & Calaveras through the Amador Community Foundation.
💙 100% of every donation goes directly to care that matters

10/17/2025

Day 77: The Finish Line!
It’s hard to describe this feeling — surreal, honored, jubilant, content, relieved…
After 4,871 miles across America, this incredible journey for Hospice of Amador and Calaveras has reached its end.
Before I post my full reflections and photos later tonight, I wanted to share this quick video — a moment I’ll never forget.

10/16/2025

Day 77: Four Miles from the Finish!

Only four miles remain to complete my Ride Across America for Hospice of Amador and Calaveras — four miles that carry the weight of nearly 4,800 miles behind them. As I pedal toward the finish, a million thoughts rush through my mind: every person I’ve met, every story shared, every climb and descent that’s led to this moment. More than anything, I’m filled with gratitude for the incredible individuals this journey has been dedicated to — and for their families, who opened their hearts and trusted me to share their stories along the way.

This video is for all of you!

10/16/2025

Day 77 — The Final Ride

Today’s final ride of my Ride Across America for Hospice Care is dedicated to Tom Mathers, who passed away on September 25th while under the care of family and Hospice of Amador and Calaveras.

Tom is my wife Andrea’s uncle, and he went on hospice care about a month ago during my journey. I was fortunate to speak with him a few weeks ago, and we shared everything we needed to say. Uncle Tom has followed my adventures from the beginning, and he made sure I knew — “finish your ride, no matter what happens to me.”

That conversation has stayed with me ever since. So as I pedal these final miles to West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, I’m riding for him, for Bonnie, and for all the families whose hospice stories have filled this journey with meaning.

Rest in peace, Uncle Tom —
may Bonnie Mathers and your family find peace and healing in the days ahead.

❤️🚴‍♂️
Please consider supporting my fundraiser for Hospice of Amador & Calaveras — donation link in comments.

Day 76: Winter Harbor (Acadia National Park) → Machias, ME“Honoring my mom, Marion Silva — teacher, writer, artist, poet...
10/16/2025

Day 76: Winter Harbor (Acadia National Park) → Machias, ME

“Honoring my mom, Marion Silva — teacher, writer, artist, poet, and mother of six kids in eight years.”
Distance: 52 miles Elevation Gain: 2,887 ft

Highlights:
• Pedaling into my first Nor’easter
• Second-to-last day of my Ride Across America
• Fall colors & endless blueberry fields

Woke to the howl of wind from an approaching Nor’easter — fitting for the next-to-last day of this 4,700-mile Ride Across America for Hospice of Amador and Calaveras. The air was crisp and the headwinds fierce, yet my energy stayed high. I circled the Schoodic Loop in Acadia National Park one last time before turning north through quiet woods, marshes, and rolling blueberry country, still glowing with late-season color. The ride was equal parts exhilaration and reflection on the enormity of this journey.

Today I honor the final of the four people this entire ride has been dedicated to — my mom, Marion Silva. She was the creative heart of our family — a teacher, writer, artist, pianist — and somehow raised six kids in eight years. She filled our childhood with wonder and love.

In her final years she lived with great physical pain but never lost her warmth or optimism. During her last hours in hospice care I sat by her side, determined to stay until her final breath. A hospice nurse gently told me that some mothers hold on — not wanting their children to witness their passing. When I stepped out for a moment, my mom slipped away peacefully. That nurse’s compassion taught me the deepest meaning of this journey — to honor each person’s needs and ease their final moments with grace.

Tomorrow I ride to West Quoddy Head Lighthouse State Park — the easternmost point in the lower 48. I know it will be a day filled with emotion — pride in what’s been accomplished, gratitude for everyone I’ve met, and deep love for all the people this journey has honored.

10/15/2025

Day 76: Good morning as I’m getting close to end of my Ride Across America to support Hospice of Amador and Calaveras.

10/15/2025

Day 75: Video Recap of my Ride Across America to support Hospice of Amador and Calaveras. Ferry from Bar Harbor To Winter Harbor, and ride in Acadia National Park & more.

Day 75: Bar Harbor → Winter Harbor — Acadia National Park, ME“Honoring Jim Foust — a man who lived large, loved deeply, ...
10/15/2025

Day 75: Bar Harbor → Winter Harbor — Acadia National Park, ME
“Honoring Jim Foust — a man who lived large, loved deeply, and left a legacy of adventure.”
Distance: 40.1 miles Elevation Gain: 1,896 ft

A calm, comfortable morning set the tone as I rolled out of Bar Harbor for an 11-mile ferry ride across Frenchman Bay to Winter Harbor. The crossing was picture-perfect — bright skies, glassy water, and a sense of peace that felt like Maine’s way of saying, slow down and take it in.

After arriving, I stopped for breakfast and met Tom, a local cyclist who toured across the U.S. and Canada back in the ’80s and ’90s. We traded stories of the road and shared a few laughs before he posed with my Hospice of Amador and Calaveras banner — a reminder that this mission connects people everywhere.

From there I continued north, where the road revealed breathtaking views of Mount Desert Island and small outer islands glowing in the sun. The Schoodic Loop through Acadia National Park was one of the most scenic stretches of this entire ride — dropping to ocean level again and again before climbing back into quiet forest with glimpses of the sea through the trees.

Today’s ride is dedicated to Jim Foust, whose adventurous spirit, humor, and love of the outdoors embodied days like this. His wife, Desiree, shared their hospice story with honesty and heart — a reminder that hospice is about living fully, with comfort and love guiding the way.

Every mile today was for Jim, and for all the families lifted by compassion, courage, and care. 💙

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973 S Lubec Rd
Lubec, ME
04652

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