• To communicate and play with their babies who cannot hear, see, or see and hear
• To manage hearing aids, cochlear implants, glasses and other adaptive devices
• To accept and enjoy the child who has a sensory loss, making him/her feel like an important part of the family
• To help their child safely move about and explore the environment, learn to do things for him/herself, and use other senses such as touch
• To help their children enter school ready to learn and communicate with others.

Since 1972, the SKI-HI Institute has provided training to over 14,000 individuals in 50 states and some foreign countries, impacting the lives of over 100,000 children. The SKI-HI Institute has also been responsible for helping to establish five new programs for these children in the state of Utah.

How did this motorcycle ride raise funds for the SKI-HI Institute? Bikers who participated in the ride from Florida to Alaska and back obtained pledges from friends, family members, and SKI-HI supporters across the country. In the end, they raised over $6,000 to go towards the work of SKI-HI.

The four riders who started out in St. Augustine were: Dr. Mike Tuccelli, the ride leader, deaf himself, and instructor of American Sign Language at the University of Florida; Debbie Butler, a secretary from the University of Florida; and Glenroy and Cheryl Moses, both nurses from Tampa Bay. Other riders that joined the group on their way up north through the country were: Ward Pettis, with the National Institute on Deafness in Maryland, and his daughter Mallory; Dan Edwards, a steam engineer from Minnesota; and JB Erdmier, a real estate developer from Illinois.

This group of riders experienced many great moments on the trip. On July 4th they had an absolutely splendid ride through the Canadian prairies under clear skies in the high 70s and low 80s. There was no shortage of gorgeous scenery and wildlife. They saw moose, a wolf, wild horses cavorting on the road's edge, eagles, bear and a feisty herd of about 50 buffalo with babies. There was also great food along the way such as Mukluk Annie’s Salmon Bake, the cookout in Logan, Utah, and a catfish fry in Mississippi.

There were a few annoyances such as a flat tire, a broken trailer hitch, a fuel flow problem, blisters, swollen hands, and sore bottoms. They also faced some challenges which included driving rain, muddy sections of road along the Alaskan highway, navigating a rough steel grating bridge, and high temperatures going across the southern part of the country on their way home.

On the 9th day of the trip, the group arrived in Fairbanks, Alaska. They had come 4,900 miles! For the next few days, the riders rested, serviced bikes, did laundry and some local sightseeing. In his trip notes, Mike wrote, “I decided to do something really adventurous tomorrow. I scheduled a seat with a bush mail pilot! On Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. Alaska time I will be flying to visit an Athabascan Indian village above the Arctic Circle! On July 12, the group headed south again, through Canada and then to the US.

Many family members and friends anxiously went online each evening to check Mike Tuccelli’s website for news about where they were and how the ride was going. This was made possible by his “sidekick,” a handy little piece of technology which he used to put updates and even pictures on his website during the trip. You can go to his site and read these daily logs and see the pictures (www.alaskabikerun.com).

There were several places along the route where the riders were to be welcomed and greeted as heroes with a celebration. The first was on the eve of day one in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, at Mountain Adventures Motorcycle shop. This event included food and prizes and it was organized by the Tennessee Infant Parent Services (TIPS). The only problem was that the riders missed this party due to a flat tire which put them into Gatlinburg late that night. So the folks there went ahead and had the party without Mike and his riders. Fortunately Mike’s daughter and another rider from Tennessee were there to represent the group.

TIPS is a state-wide home-based early intervention program that serves over three thousand young children and their families last year. They were one of the first adoption sites of the SKI-HI Institute and have greatly benefited from the excellent materials and trainings developed by the Institute over the years.

The second celebration took place Sunday afternoon, July 16 in Logan, Utah. Fifteen minutes before a local ride was to start, Mike and some of his Alaska riders came rolling in to join the celebration. Were we happy to see them! Thirty local motorcyclists participated in the 100 mile ride through beautiful Logan Canyon. A cookout with a raffle for prizes and music by the Sagwitch Basin Boys (a local western band) was enjoyed by all. We listened as the Alaska riders told tales of their trip adventures with “enthusiasm” as Mike Tuccelli would say. All of us at SKI-HI were deeply touched by what these riders had gone through thus far to benefit our work. Before this trip, many of them did not know anything about the SKI-HI Institute. It was a privilege to meet and visit with them.

Monday morning, they took off from Logan headed for New Mexico in 100 degree weather. The group met up with another rider in Clovis, Darryl Petrack, a retired
high school math teacher who was originally going to do the entire trip. But June 19, on his way across Texas to join up with the riders starting out in Florida, his trip came to a screeching halt. Wind turbulence induced a crash on I-20 resulting in a helicopter ride to a local Trauma Center. The result was a broken collarbone, three broken ribs and an assortment of scrapes and bruises. He was back home in no time healing up, optimistic, and responding to e-mails every few days about his progress. Less than a month later, he was back on his bike, Baby Wing, to meet up with the Alaska riders in order to have lunch with them.

On July 19, the riders arrived in downtown Ft. Worth in sizzling 104 degree weather to a very friendly welcome in a nice air conditioned place with food and drinks. This local event was organized by Dianne Fisher, a long time friend of the SKI-HI Institute. Invigorated, the riders hit the interstate once more and two days later, they arrived home safely.

All of us at SKI-HI take our hats off to this group of riders led by Dr. Mike Tuccelli. We cannot thank them enough for what they have done to help us in these difficult financial times.

Mike, with all his enthusiasm and optimism has already begun to lay the plans for the summer 2007 Alaska Benefit Ride for the SKI-HI Institute. Read about this next ride and learn how you can help us continue to “Ride SKI-HI.”