Steph’s Wild Ride is an organization created in memory of Stephanie Micka. The founders of Steph’s Wild ride are committed to developing an annual day long event that marries Stephanie’s passion for life and raising the much-needed funds to help support individuals and families stricken with cancer. At Steph’s Wild Ride, friends and family gather to celebrate Stephanie’s life with a poker style cycling and motorcycle ride, benefit dinner, raffle, live music, and merriment.
Cancer affects millions of individuals like Stephanie and their families each year. We want to provide assistance to individuals stricken with cancer – to provide them with support, and comfort in their time of need. Together, we can help to make a difference.
Jeremiah Micka
Chair, Steph’s Wild Ride
Stephanie Nichole Micka’s older brother
I welcome you to Stephs Wild Ride! I would like to take this opportunity to explain to you a little about Steph’s Wild Ride, why this site exists, and what the main goals are for the organization.
My sister was quite the character, you absolutely never knew what she was thinking, and even if you thought you did, you were wrong. She left conventional high school to attend a vocational school where she took up automotive technology. With her hard work and skills, she took the school to its first top three finishes in auto tech competition in many years. Her motivation for work and school was strong, but stronger when it came to her social life. She was the type of person who couldn’t bail you out of jail, because she was sitting next to you. Then something happened September 6, 2006, which is my older sister’s birthday. Steph was diagnosed with stage 4-lymphoma cancer. She never thought for a second that it would beat her, and for ten months not one person could tell her differently. She went through the most extreme treatment measures. A port was implanted in her brain to treat her nervous system, countless chemo treatments took place, and even the start of a stem cell transfer was in motion. But despite the enormous efforts, somehow the cancer still managed to grow and eventually take her life on July 1, 2007, which happened to be my birthday. The absolute last thing my sister wanted to do was die, so we created Steph’s Wild Ride.
2008 was the inaugural year for Stephs Wild Ride. We raised money with a motorcycle ride, a dinner, and a raffle totaling impressive results. With four months planning we were able to raise almost $15,000. Two thirds of this money went to the Children’s Miracle Network and we also bought two IV pumps for Cooley Dickenson Hospital Children’s Unit. That was a great feeling, but it wasn’t enough.
One thing we all realized moving through this experience with her is that cancer does not discriminate. Cancer does not care about age or race. It does not prefer gay or straight. Cancer attacks the young and the old. It simply kills the mind and body leaving nothing but sadness and destruction in its wake. We want to accomplish as much as possible to change this and help as many victims as we can. Our answer is Steph’s Wild Ride.
We have three main goals for Steph’s Wild Ride. First, we want to keep Steph’s name alive. Second, we want to have as much fun as possible, because that would be her number one priority. Third, we want to raise money to help fight cancer. These are very attainable goals. With the support of people who care and want to have fun, we can accomplish any task. We, as an organization, are promising to provide a fun and entertaining annual experience. With a motorcycle ride, raffles and prizes, dinners of all kinds (sit down dinners, pig roasts, clam and seafood bakes, Slovakian fare, etc…), and we need you to come to these events, buy tickets, sponsor us, and know in your hearts that we can all make a difference.
The difference between us and other organizations is where and how we allocate the funds we raise. We realized that when you donate money it tends to go to one place, maybe the Children’s Miracle Network, or the Shriners. These are great places that do great things but there are hundreds of other organizations, businesses and individuals that need assistance. We want to take a different approach; we have a Grants Coordinator designated to find the individuals we can best help with our grants.
If you have questions or comments please visit the Contact page, and write any one of us an email. I thank you for your time, and hope we all can work together and change the lives of people suffering with cancer.
A Note from the Board of Directors
2009 is going to be a historic year for Steph’s Wild Ride. After reviewing the excellent results of 2008 we decided we could do more for our kids. To achieve this, are goal is to provide a Grant to qualified children between the ages of 14 and 21. With the assistance of many people we became a 501 (C )(3) Non Profit Corporation in the State of Massachusetts on May 27, 2009.
Steph was a very independent thinker who was barely 21 when taken from us. In honor of her independence, giving to an individual, I have been told, is only being done by only 5% of all nonprofits. Most nonprofits give to other nonprofits.
Steph’s Wild Ride is a grassroots, all volunteer organization. All anyone receives is the satisfaction that we have helped a young, innocent life with cancer.
We will keep her spirit alive.
Stephen Micka
Stephanie’s Dad and Chairman of the Board