Lending a helping hand
<p>Tom Savage rode his hand bike almost 90 miles around Flathead Lake to raise money for Michael Wilson, a local man in need of a suitable wheelchair.</p> <p> </p>
POLSON — Tom Savage went a long way on Saturday — just under 90 miles according to the computer tracker on the back of his hand-powered bicycle — but he went an even longer way toward making a difference in someone else’s life.
Savage’s dawn-‘til-dusk ride around Flathead Lake would be an admirable trek under any circumstances, but it was made all the more noteworthy for its noble cause. The ride was done to raise money and awareness to benefit Michael Wilson, a Pablo resident in need of a proper wheelchair.
Wilson fought valiantly in his recent bout with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but complications from treatment afflicted him with Addison’s disease. Resulting tissue damage ultimately led to the loss of one of his legs.
“Michael has been through a lot,” Savage said.
“They got him on disability, but for whatever reason, they put him on a two-year waiting list for a wheelchair. Being somebody who’s been in a chair since March of 1994, I can’t see letting someone go that long without having proper mobility,” said Savage.
“I just felt I had to do what I could… not only for him, but his family,” said Savage.
That entailed pushing it to the limit on his hand cycle. Savage has only been hand biking for a year, and says that circumnavigating the lake was the farthest he’d ever ridden by a comfortable margin.
“It was brutal,” Savage said of the clockwise ride which started and finished at Glacier Brewing Company.
The hardest part was, “Every single hill — starting with Jette,” Savage said of the imposing hill looming just west of Polson.
Despite the challenging terrain and all of the hard-fought mileage, the inspired outpouring of support from the community made it all the more worthwhile.
“When I got (this hand cycle) I had made a promise that I was going to help out with some local projects and local fundraisers and organizations and try to give back to my community,” said Savage.
After completing the ride and getting some rest, Savage echoed his gratitude to sponsors through the Facebook page for the fundraiser.
At this point there are no future fundraising events planned for Wilson, but those interested in making donations are encouraged to contact Glacier Brewing Company, which will continue to serve as a drop-off point for any contributions.