Penny Martin had no idea when she signed on to bring an annual Caravan Teddy Bear Motorcycle Run to Akron Children’s Hospital 16 years ago that it would grow into what it is today.Sunday’s event — which drew upwards of 1,200 bikes from 25 counties around the state and from as far away as West Virginia and Pennsylvania — scored thousands of new teddy bears of all sizes for patients at the hospital.There were bikes and stuffed animals of sizes and colors as far as the eye could see. And a happy caravan of patients, some walking on their own and others in wheelchairs, to receive them.Martin, of New Philadelphia, talked about the run’s genesis. It stemmed from when her then 8-year-old son David was a heart patient at the hospital. “One day he was watching TV and saw the teddy bear run that went to Cleveland,” Martin said. “And he asked me, ‘Mom, does anyone do this for my hospital?’ I told him I would talk to somebody.”And talk she did. Next thing you know, Martin did a marketing plan and got the green light the following year, 1995, to put together a teddy bear run for Children’s Hospital. “We got the police involved to escort the bikes. We were so excited that we had 450 bikes the first year,” she said.“One year we had as many 3,500 bikes. The number changes year to year. We usually raise about 20,000 teddy bears or more. It’s just awesome. These bikers do this just out of loving to give kids comfort in the hospital when Mom or Dad are not there.”One of those bikers, Todd Wolfe of Akron and a member of Faith Family Church, one of the event’s sponsors, said the members prayed “that the power of God would heal the children” receiving the stuffed animals.Fellow biker Dona Miller of Strasburg was as passionate as they come about comforting children with the stuffed animals. That’s because the 85-year-old — dressed in a pink leather jacket, jeans, brown cowboy boots and a helmet, of course — recently retired as a registered nurse. “The thought of a sick child brings tears to my eyes,” said Miller, who has been riding since 1945.Jim and Kaitlyn Nichols of Akron not only were on the receiving end of a stuffed animal for 18-month-old son Keegan James Nichols, who has chronic lung disease and has been a patient for year, but Dad also rode with the caravan to the hospital.Steven and a tearful Jessica Truesdale, accompanied by their 6-year-old daughter Dakota, of Perry Township, happily claimed twin stuffed animals for twin sons Tanner and Tyler, who were born July 14 at 31 weeks. Tanner was recently released from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where Tyler, who has TEF (tracheoesophageal fistula), remains seriously ill. Nurses from NICU came down to pick out stuffed animals to comfort other little patients there.Each year the campaign picks one hospital patient to be the king or queen for the day. This year’s pick was 5-year-old Maddux Maple of Dennison who has cancer.That means Maddux and his family received special gifts and a collection was taken up for him from the riders. The money will be used for anything not covered by insurance, like gasoline to get him to the hospital for chemotherapy.Martin’s son David, now 25, who served as the teddy bear mascot, is part of the next generation to carry the program onward and upward. He continues to be treated at Children’s, where he has undergone five open-heart operations, 200 admissions and treatment for many other problems. “It’s been his second home away from home,” his mother said.The bear run is their way of saying thank you and making sure all of the little patients have what they need to bear everything that’s happening to them.Hats off to the Martins and ALL of the bikers who have their hearts in the right place.Fundraiser for Rough Rider A team effort is on to help Kent Roosevelt High School junior and nationally ranked offensive guard Ryan Anderson and his family with expenses associated with his April 4 cancer diagnosis. Ryan has osteogenic sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. He has had weeks of aggressive chemotherapy with possibly more to come. It’s an uphill struggle both mentally and physically, one that Ryan is determined to win.In the meantime, he has a legion of supporters in his corner.One such group is Unda-ground Wrestling Promotions, which has planned a Ryan Anderson Charity Event for Saturday at the high school. Bell time is 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Price is $5, students; $10, adults; $15, ringside seats. For ticket information, please call 330-676-8700. Go to www.undaground
wrestling.com for information and updates.Special thanks to sponsors Don Joseph auto dealerships, Lux Nightclub, Bob Evans, Mike’s Place, Smoking Tattoo, Opti Fitness and Evergreen Buffet.Skating for GreenA skating fundraiser and a quilt raffle are in the works to assist Medina’s Michelle Green, who is awaiting a life-saving double lung transplant.The 23-year-old Michelle, who struggles with every breath, was diagnosed when she was 3 months old with cystic fibrosis.“Even though she has battled CF her entire life, she has remained determined to beat this disease,” writes Mandy Stockton, a spokeswoman for the National Foundation for Transplants. “A Medina resident her entire life, she was a student at Ella Canavan Elementary School, Buckeye Junior High and Buckeye High School. Despite her health challenges, she was active in softball, hockey and her high school marching band. She was even able to fulfill a lifelong dream and play women’s hockey at Ohio State for a season, until her illness forced her to withdraw from school.“A double-lung transplant costs approximately $650,000. Even with health insurance, Green faces significant medical expenses. For the rest of her life, she will need follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications. The cost of the vital post-transplant medications can range from $2,000 to $5,000 per month.”The Skating for Life event is planned for 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Medina Skateland, 3789 Pearl Road, Medina. Admission is $3 and skate or rollerblade rental is $2.50. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1, or six for $5, from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 for a chance to win a king-size Amish quilt from the Yoder family and a lap-size quilt by Pamela Mohn (Michelle’s aunt) and Kathy Nanna.For information, please contact Diana Green at 330-321-6327 or ddgrn@
zoominternet.net or Jim Green at 330-350-6113 or
 jhgrn@zoominternet.net.To donate in honor of Michelle Green, please mail to NFT Ohio Transplant Fund, 5350 Poplar Ave., Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Write “Michelle Green” on the memo line.Coming attractionComing soon is No Storm Lasts Forever, a book by recently retired Akron cardiologist Dr. Terry A. Gordon. Very inspirational; I got a chance to read an advance copy.Gordon, who was named in 2002 the American Heart Association’s National Physician of the Year, speaks in the book about matters of the heart — not the medical ones.“For many years, my approach to diseased hearts was to fix the broken parts with mechanical devices and pharmaceuticals,” Gordon wrote. “Ultimately, I discovered that complete healing occurs in a place not at all where I expected.”Gordon is the perennial master of ceremonies and crowd favorite at the annual Docs Who Rock physician talent show, which benefits the Summit County United Way. This year’s benefit is Oct. 22 at E.J. Thomas Hall. Gordon has dressed up as Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, Barry Manilow and even Tina Turner.The popular doc’s book, to be published by Hay House, has a foreword written by author and talk-show host Dr. Wayne Dyer and an introduction by Gordon’s musical hero, Kenny Loggins.Stay tuned.Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or emailed at jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.