Fire Chief Gears Up for 300-Mile Charity Bike Ride

While the chilly weather may be keeping many outdoor enthusiasts indoors, Mike Metz is riding the streets of Metro Detroit, preparing for his second annual 300-mile trek across Michigan as part of the Wish-A-Mile Bicycle Tour starting July 28.

For the ride, cyclists are bused to Traverse City, from where they begin a three-day journey down to Chelsea. Metz, 54, first became involved in the ride, which raises funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, last year with his wife, Yvette, 54, and his brother-in-law, Mark Morad, 52, of Livonia.

Metz said he and his wife, both residents of Troy, started biking a few years ago when he was looking for an alternate form of exercise after a knee injury kept him from long-distance running. The pair started with mountain biking then, once they realized they were biking on roads, purchased road bikes and haven’t looked back since.

The couple is accustomed to participating in 50- and 100-mile rides, but biking 100 miles three days in a row is certainly a challenge, Metz said.

“To us, we’re not in a hurry,” he said. “We are there to enjoy the ride and not beat ourselves up too bad.”

The conditioning and training needed to prepare for the ride, though, was easy for Yvette, an experienced marathon runner now training for her 18th marathon. The pair have been training for the bike tour for more than a month, and will be pedaling in their first organized ride of the season in early May.

Metz said the best part of the event — aside from the scenery and exercise — is getting to meet the children they’re helping to sponsor as part of Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“It was so emotional. You see these kids that have serious health isues and they just have big smiles on their faces and can’t thank you enough,” Metz said. “You get up on stage with the child that you sponsor and they put a medal on over your head.”

Yvette Metz said the entire ride is emotional. “The whole ride was beautiful. It’s probably one of the best organized rides that I’ve ever participated in,” she said. “It’s a really good  organization for the children of Michigan and just to be involved with granting wishes is really a great opportunity.”

To participate in the ride, cyclists need to raise or donate a combined $900. Last year, Metz said they were able to reach their goal through the help of family and friends, and are looking for the same support this year.

To help the Mike Metz with his fundraising goal, visit www.wishmich.org/mikemetz. To help Yvette Metz, visit www.wishmich.org/yvettemetz. To help Mark, visit www.wishmich.org/markmorad.