Ever feel like there is so much wrong in the world but you have no idea how to make it better?  My cousin Todd felt that way too, especially watching his nephew Jared (my second cousin) suffer from muscular dystrophy for the last 15 years.   Despite being hospitalized for two years, Jared persevered to complete his high school studies and receive his diploma, and finally returned home from the hospital in December 2008.   To make a difference in his nephew’s life, Todd has decided to embark on a 4,000 mile solo bike ride across the U.S. from Astoria, Oregon to Yorktown, Virginia.  His aim is to raise money for Jared’s medical care, as well as to raise awareness for muscular dystrophy.

Todd and Jared’s adventure begins on June 28th and you can participate along the way!   JaredSmiles.org is the website where you can see the route, learn more about Jared, and of course, make a donation.  Also, be sure to check out The Desert Sun‘s coverage of Todd’s trek, with an article entitled Journey for Jared.  Or if you are on Facebook, you can join the group “Todd Larsen’s TransAmerica Ride 09′ for Muscular Dystrophy”.  And one more thing, if you live along the route and can offer Todd a place to stay for the night, be sure to drop him an e-mail at todd [at] jaredsmiles [dot] org   And naturally, I will be posting updates here along the way.

So, to quote their website, “Thank you for your interest and your support. Now let’s get rolling!”