Going for a ride

Sept. 21--Regina Stoll had never ridden a motorcycle until Saturday morning.

Due to her condition, she feared she might never have the chance.

"It's awesome," she said.

Stoll, 23, was born with spina bifda, which has confined her to a wheelchair since she was a little girl. That didn't prevent her from getting straight As in high school, and it doesn't stop her from going fishing on a regular basis. She loves the outdoors.

"When you're younger, you don't really understand it, the concept of being in a wheelchair," she said. "A lot of people don't know about it unless they ask. They don't understand that there are other people who are different."

Stoll was getting the ride from Ron Jack, a member of the ABATE (A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education) District 18 motorcycle club. The ABATE group raised $6,000 for Great River Hospice and another $6,000 for Lee County Hospice during its annual mystery ride earlier this summer, which has been a tradition for the past 10 years.

More than a dozen members of the club joined Stoll on her ride, and their first stop was the Great River Hospice House. After presenting the $6,000 checks, they hit the road again, taking Stoll on the ride of her life.

"The last couple of years, our goal has been $10,000, and we've tried to beat it," said ABATE events coordinator Randy Hiland. "This year, we finally did. This ride means a lot to ABATE. This ride is the biggest one we have every year, and we strive to make it better every year."

Lee County Hospice administrator Julie Schilling and Great River Hospice community liaison Amy Burkhart accepted the checks in front of the Hospice House, making sure to thank everyone who participated in the ride.

"This makes people aware of the hospice services in our area. We're here to help those who have an illness they can't recover from," Schilling said. "Medicaid and insurance does not cover the full cost of services, so this is a great help."

Stoll was the guest of honor during the check presentation, and was still glowing from her ride.

"It was fun," she said.

Regina lived with her parents Richard and Diana Stoll in Florida until about eight months ago, when they moved to Burlington to be closer to extended family. Stoll has made it a point not to let her condition limit her, which is why she competed in a 15K wheelchair race back in Florida.

She likes to joke the race was a one-time thing.

"It's harder than it looks, because you're constantly pushing your wheelchair, and you get bruises on your hands, which is what I had. I had bruises on the tips of my fingers," she said.

Now that she has grown comfortable in a considerably cooler climate, Stoll is organizing a fishing tournament designed for people with disabilities. She would like to do it sometime next spring, and is still in the process of lining up everything.

Her father said he couldn't be more proud of Regina's initiative.

"She's been on her computer steady, writing up the guidelines," Richard said. "I think it's great. I'll support her in whatever she does."

Richard came up with the idea of the motorcycle ride after talking with ABATE member Rick Guinard, who was more than happy to set up the ride. Regina is hoping an airplane ride might be next.

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