By JODEE TAYLOR
jtaylor@record-eagle.com
TRAVERSE CITY — Nick Mihalic never thought about who paid for that trip to Disney World.
The 10-year-old, who will be a fifth-grader at Westwoods Elementary in the fall, went with his family to see Buzz Lightyear, among other characters, when he was 3.
There was a limo ride, he remembers, and, it was fun. But the cost? Nary a thought.
That's because everything was covered by The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan, a nonprofit group that makes wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions.
A large chunk of the foundation's money comes from a bike ride that kicks off next week in Traverse City.
WAM, the Wish-A-Mile 300 Bicycle Tour, leaves from East Middle School at 6 a.m. Friday, July 23. Organizers expect more than 800 riders on the three-day, 300-mile tour, which ends in Chelsea.
Riders pay a registration fee and solicit pledges; many of the teams compete among themselves to see who can raise the most money, said Laura Brown, director of communications and public relations.
Chris Remy, service manager at McLain Cycle and Fitness, helps with bike repairs and other myriad things for the ride; this will be his third year.
"You never know what they're going to show up with," he said. Riders aren't hard-core bikers, he said, and sometimes they haven't had their bike out since last year's ride.
Remy spends the evening before the ride helping get bikes ready, then spends the next day on the road with the bikers.
"I feel like a sheepherder sometimes, watching my flock," he said.
The WAM ride is the largest single fundraiser the foundation and is in its 23rd year. Last year, riders raised more than $1.5 million, Brown said.
Nick's mom, Tricia, remembers that Disney World respite fondly.
"We weren't able to be together (as a family) for about three years," she said. Nick, who has Hirshsprung's disease, a congenital disorder of the colon and small intestine, had been in hospitals and under doctors' care almost constantly the first three years of his life. His older sister, Morgan, who was 2 when Nick was born, stayed with relatives and friends. Their dad, Michael, was working.
"We were all together," she said of the time in Florida. What with the limo ride and other special treatment, "it's kind of like you're a star," she said.
Once you're a "Wish Kid," the organization stays in touch, Tricia said.
Nick gets free tickets and outings, including meeting the Blue Angels two years ago.
Last year, he got a letter asking for wintertime artwork so he sent in a picture of penguins, one of his two favorite things to draw (the other being raccoons).
The drawing became the foundation's 2009 holiday card.
"He likes to draw," said Tricia. "He had some problems about that time so it gave him a boost."
The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan has granted more than 6,000 wishes, ranging from meeting Elmo to trips to shopping sprees.
If Nick got a wish these days, he said it would be for more Legos. His mom thinks he has plenty.
Donations are still welcome for the WAM bike ride; more information is available at www.wishamile.org or by calling (877) 631-9474.
