Cyclists from the legal and business community rode with the Wheels of Justice team in the Courage Classic, a157-mile tour in the Rockies the past weekend. The team of 201 riders raised more than $214,000 for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at The Children's Hospital! They stopped to share their stories:

"On our training ride on Squaw Peak Road, it was dusk, andI had just passed my friend and teammate, Rita, tucked in and burning down the hill at 30+ mph. Suddenly a big buck deer popped out of the trees to my left, and for whatever reason, he chose to RUN alongside me for a good 50-60 yards! He was stretched out at a full gallop, kicking up huge dust. Such a strong, beautiful, graceful animal! I had to keep an eye ahead at such speed, but I kept looking left, incredulous that this guy was keeping up. It was as if he was playing with me! Then he suddenly cut back left into the trees, outta sight. WOW! I laughed all the way down the hill - never have I raced a deer! It was amazing. Rita saw it from behind, so we had a good laugh about it all the way home. Certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I never would have been there, seen that, had I not been training for this ride. It is moments like that one that make all of the work worthwhile." -

-- Leslie Morgan, Wheels of Justice Cycling Team rider in the Courage Classic

Their stories were about personal achievement.

"I went to the WoJ kickoff party to support my friends Charlene Krogh and David Jones, and without really knowing what I was signing up for, was convinced by David to sign up for the Courage Classic. In the past two months, I've gone from not being able to jog even half a mile and being miserable on every ride to finally being able to ride up Lookout Mountain without stopping and actually enjoying every other ride. Yesterday, I rode 7 miles up squaw pass, and it was amazing." -

-- Rita Wu,Wheels of Justice Cycling Team rider in the Courage Classic

Wheels of Justice Cycling Team Captain Heather Purcell said she realized yet again, while fundraising, how small the world really is.

"I had recently reconnected with an old high school friend who lives in Wyoming, Ruth, who totally blew me away by donating $2500. When I wrote to thank her profusely, she responded: "Funny thing - I would have donated anyway but ran into a friend yesterday whose 5-week-old granddaughter just got back from Children's. She had seizures and the docs are trying to figure out why. Small world and I am very impressed you are raising money for this great hospital AND that you can ride your bike in those conditions. Send pics of you in your cool bike gear in the mountains."

- Heather Purcell, Team Captain, Wheels of Justice

Eight-year-old Allison Winn was the 2008 Wheels of Justice team's shining example of the strength, courage, wisdom and sense of humor necessary to overcome a life altering ordeal. Winn and her family met with cyclists in the legal community at the fundraising kick-off party in May, just weeks away from completion of a year's worth of chemotherapy and oncologic care for the treatment of a medulla blastoma at the base of her brain.

"We had a party to help us mark the one-year anniversary of Allison's tumor diagnosis on April 4th... All in all, a successful way to mark the last year, even if it was overwhelming, emotional, and very messy. That's just life. Very messy.
Today we are at Children's for the eighth of nine chemo treatments. Even though we are almost done, it doesn't make it any easier. Allison's napping, Brian's pacing, and I am sitting here thinking of what to say....but I am truly more tired then I have been before so I'll save my thoughts for another day. All the best to you!"

-- Dianna, Allison's mom, April 10, 2008 blog entry

Allison's story can be fully appreciated by review of her website at www.allison winn.blogspot.com.

The official press release from the Wheels of Justice:

DENVER July 28, 2008 - The Wheels of Justice cycling team, sponsored by the Colorado, Denver and Boulder bar associations, has surpassed its goal and raised more than $212,000 for The Children's Hospital, through the Courage Classic.

Donations will benefit children such as Allison Winn, age 8, who was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, the most common type of pediatric brain cancer. The brave girl and her father Brian Winn met with and inspired Wheels of Justice riders in May. Donations continue to arrive specifically for the hospital's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

This is the third consecutive year that law firms from around the state have collaborated to help the families and doctors of children facing serious illnesses. The total amount given the past three years combined is more than $500,000.

"The Children's Hospital is incredibly grateful for everything the Wheels of Justice cycling team and the bar associations have done for us," said Cary Larger, events director for The Children's Hospital. "We love team captain Heather Purcell and all the Wheels riders. We couldn't do this without the support from them and all their sponsors."

Two hundred lawyers, business professionals, friends and family rode in the 157-mile tour through the mountains of Colorado July 26-28. The Wheels of Justice team was the largest team to ride in the Courage Classic the past two years. An additional $1,000 was donated this weekend during an auction of a Wheels of Justice team jersey signed by Lance Armstrong. Team sponsors include: COPIC Insurance; Pryor, Johnson, Carney, Karr, Nixon; Cooley Godward Kronish; Ireland Stapleton; Faegre & Benson; Hall & Evans; The Denver Athletic Club; First Western Trust Bank; Berenbaum, Weinshienk & Eason; Burns Figa & Will; Cooper & Clough; Dorsey & Whitney; Hogan & Hartson; Jacobs Chase; Kennedy, Childs & Fogg; McConnell Siderius Fleischner Houghtaling & Craigmile; Montgomery, Little, Soran & Murray and Sheridan Ross PC.

For more information, visit www.wheelsofjusticecycling.org. See previous news clips: http://www.wheelsofjusticecycling.org/Pictures/Law_Week_Colorado_5-19-08.pdf