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THE ADMINISTRATOR of King-Bruwaert, an upscale retirement village in Burr Ridge, Illinois, greets a visitor to his office wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and athletic shoes.
It is another scorching summer day of Chicago-area residents pulling out handkerchiefs to mop sweat from their faces and necks. Carl Baker, King-Bruwaert’s top executive for the past 14 years, has chosen to bike to work from his Naperville home 30 miles away. Baker, ’95, has made the 60-mile round trip daily for the last several months to prepare for a much more challenging ride: the 2,400 miles from King-Bruwaert to the California coastline.
The month-long ride, scheduled to begin August 19, will raise the $150,000 to $175,000 needed to construct a nondenominational chapel for King-Bruwaert’s 300 residents.This is second time since 1996 that Baker will have biked across the country to raise money for King-Bruwaert. Four years ago Baker, a Philadelphia native, biked from the retirement community to Atlantic City, New Jersey, raising $70,000.
“Initially, I planned to bike from Burr Ridge to Atlantic City to meet my parents for their 50th wedding anniversary,” Baker said. “Then I decided to use the trip to raise money to construct a greenhouse for our residents to enjoy.” He received pledges from current and former residents, their families, and vendors. He succeeded, and a greenhouse is now located near a dining room in King-Bruwaert House. On the opposite wall are a framed map of his route and a photograph of Baker at the end of his ride, 20 pounds lighter.
He expects to lose even more weight biking to Santa Monica, a ride that will take him along historic Route 66 through St. Louis, Tulsa, and Albuquerque. His last ride taught him a lot about long-distance biking–such as expecting the unexpected, weather-wise. “I was biking through the Allegheny Mountains when it got so cold I could see my breath. I wasn’t prepared for it to be that cold in the middle of July,” Baker said. “I put on all the clothing I had to keep warm.”
Baker’s itinerary for this trip includes 12 to 16 hours of riding–covering about 100 miles–each day. He will be pedaling through the Midwest during tornado and thunderstorm season. He also will have to deal with traffic and dogs chasing after him.
Baker will travel alone until he reaches the trip’s most dangerous leg, a 154-mile stretch through the 100-degree heat of the Mojave Desert from Needles to Barstow, California. He will meet his wife, Murnie, and coworker Bonnie Warden and her husband, Barry, near Needles. They will drive ahead, keeping in contact with Baker by cellular telephone. Baker, a former registered nurse, will carry a bottle of snake venom antidote.
Why take such a personal interest–and risk–in raising money for his employer? “King-Bruwaert has been very good to me and my family,” Baker said. “My mother-in-law lives here and if my father would let me, I would move him here.”
The ride will end in Santa Monica. When he arrives, Baker plans to make a big splash. “I’m going jump into the ocean,” he said.–Frederick H. Lowe
Editor’s note: Despite delays due to, among other things, a wrecked tire rim (courtesy of a pothole) and a tornado, Carl Baker reached Santa Monica on September 21. As of that day, he had raised $130,000 and was expecting more contributions upon his return to Chicago.
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