President/CEO of Riverfront Groves and former Citrus Commission Chairman Dan Richey recently biked 74 miles in the “Ride for a Cancer Cure” from West Palm Beach to Sun Life Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, in honor of his good friend Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich. Richey, who rode as part of Team Mad Dog with Mandich’s wife and sons, raised more than $30,000 for research at the Sylvester Cancer Center at the University of Miami, where Mandich, a former Dolphins player, is being treated for cancer. The Dolphins matched the money Richey raised, bringing the total to more than $60,000.
Although Mandich has no connection (other than loving grapefruit) to the citrus industry, approximately half of the funds Richey raised came from the citrus community. “The outpouring of support from the citrus industry was overwhelming,” says Richey. “Money came from all parts of the industry: growers, packers, importers, associations, customers, suppliers and more. It was really encouraging and did my heart a lot of good.” Richey gives a colorful, firsthand account of his ride below:
“It’s not often that you get a police escort on a six-lane highway (I-595) while riding a bike. How the organizers pulled that one off is beyond me. They closed the entire highway for three hours!! We then meandered through west Broward and Dade County until we finished at Dolphin Stadium. I rode with the lead pack all the way until the final sprint when my legs just couldn’t keep up. The young lions broke away for the last 2 miles or so, and I stayed with the second pack maintaining a 23 mph pace. I did well right up to the end. No wrecks and felt half way decent. I thought we were to finish hard through the tunnel entering the field so was still ‘on it’ when entering the tunnel. Naturally it was dark when entering the tunnel, and I had my sunglasses on so visibility was non-existent. Well … the pack in front of us had stopped in a staging area so they could enter the field one at a time as names were announced. Upon hearing your name, you we were to proceed through the rest of the tunnel onto the field and ride down the middle of the field to the other end while you were videoed and put up on the Jumbotron. Well … I missed those instructions, so … here I come at 20 mph right into the middle of them and can’t stop. CRASH. Couldn’t get my shoes unclipped and as I tried my legs totally cramped up. Ultimately I looked like the guy on the Laugh In show in the 60s falling over and taking three other bikers down with me. I survived the entire ride until the finish!! Anyway, after feeling like a total dumb ass, I waited my turn to be announced and rode through the tunnel (with newly earned skin abrasions) and across the field to see a group of friends and family from Vero and Mad Dog Mandich waiting for me at the finish line!! I gotta tell you that was a great feeling. To be surrounded by ‘my guys’ was special!”