I SUPPORT
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Name:
Stuart Jonas
Where I live:
My wife and I live in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Age:
56
What I do:
I am an account manager for a biometric firm, although I
have been back to work for only a few months because of an illness I’ve
had for the past five years. My hobbies are playing my custom-built
guitar, and riding a bike when the weather and my body will cooperate.
I also like to do as a hobby what I do in my job: work with computers.
Most inspiring articles I’ve read recently:
I have been most inspired by
The Grand Rapids Press
articles by Sue Schroder about other people’s
struggles with cancer, since that hits oh so close to home.
Latest or greatest accomplishment:
I have at least two of them:
learning to take care of myself and walk after brain surgery on a
non-malignant tumor; then, six months later, surviving stage 4 Non-
Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I like to think that the thought of riding with
my friends was one of the most powerful motivators I had, next to my
family.
I’d rather be:
ME—because others may look appealing, but their lives
might have the same ups and downs as mine. And, who knows, theirs
could be worse. Besides, I have come to like who I am and what I am.
A personal goal:
Riding the Dick Allen Lansing to MACkinaw bike
ride; it’s about 300 to 400 miles, depending on the route, but the
scenery and camaraderie would be great.
A person I admire:
My wife’s aunt, Mim Schneider. She battled cancer
for at least four years. Although she lost the fight, she always smiled at
the world and the people she met. She was a great example of living
with a disease and not letting it control your entire life.
Inspirational quote:
“What I do this day is very important because I
am trading a day of my life for it.” —author unknown
My favorite rail-trail experience:
When I completed my final treat-
ment, a good friend promised me a “victory lap” on our bikes. Little
did I realize it would turn out to be a longer ride than I expected. We
spent the better part of the morning and into early afternoon riding. It
was a gorgeous day, and riding was a real pleasure, with great scenery
and a good friend to share it with. Now I need to “pay it forward” to
someone else who has gone through cancer treatment and has come
out on the victory end of it.
I’ve been a Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) member since:
I joined
RTC in 2012 and have been a paperless member since 2013.
Why I support RTC through a paperless membership:
Two reasons: 1)
to give to a cause I wholeheartedly support, and 2) to not forget to
make my donation to that cause. I kept forgetting to make the
donation; I found the paperless membership to be quick to make,
and painless for me and the family budget.
BRIAN KELLY
Add your unique voice to the rail-trail movement by becoming a paperless
member of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Learn more at railstotrails.org/support
or call 202.331.9696.
