When faced with pain and loss it can be easy to shut down, disconnect or look for an outlet to place anger and blame. After experiencing the loss of his father Steve in 2009 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), active cyclist Justin Rumley did the exact opposite of that by founding the ALS Bike Trek MN, a charity bike ride dedicated to raising awareness and funds for ALS research.
“I participated in the Tri State Trek, a three day charity bike ride for ALS in Boston. I had promised my dad I would do whatever I could to help find a cure for ALS and that’s when I decided I wanted to bring this event back with me to the Midwest,” shares Justin.
With some help from the Twin City Bike Club and the immense support of his wife Annie, the ALS Bike Trek MN kicked off in the summer of 2010. To date the event has raised nearly $900,000 for ALS research, and this year all proceeds will exclusively be donated to MDA.
While an avid cyclist, Justin is also a coffee enthusiast. In November of 2016 he and Annie launched Bell Lap Coffee, a convenient and high quality coffee subscription service named in reference to the sport Justin loves so much: cycling.
The couple is dedicated to providing small-batch, hand-roasted coffee beans sold by subscription with an emphasis on freshness, packaging and shipping each order within hours of roasting to provide the freshest coffee possible.
But for Justin, this is more than just coffee. It’s an opportunity to give back to the people of Papa New Guinea, who work to provide the wild grown, gourmet coffee beans used by Bell Lap Coffee while also giving back to MDA through his “Coffee for a Cure” roast.
Aside from the five signature roasts Bell Lapp Coffee offers, when people order the “Coffee for a Cure” roast, 100% of the proceeds are given to MDA in honor of Justin’s father.
“I wanted to fundraise with a product I knew people would use,” shares Justin.
Whether you want to buy a single bag for yourself or as a gift for a loved one or opt for a monthly or bi-weekly subscription, the proceeds from every purchase will be used to help MDA families live longer and grow stronger.
When asked why he continually goes above and beyond to raise funds and awareness, the answer is simple for Justin.
“I do all of this fundraising and try to raise awareness so other families won’t have to experience what my family went through. My dad was a super nice guy, he made everyone feel comfortable and he showed his strength through how he lived with ALS.” says Justin.
For people interested in starting a fundraiser for MDA, Justin advises learning from others.
“If you want to do a bike ride take part in one, shadow, ask questions. Someone else has already started something so you can pick up and make it better. And reach out to MDA for help,” shares Justin.
Justin refuses to let anything stop him from fighting for families impacted by neuromuscular diseases.
“Who’s going to stop me from doing something?”
Interested in creating your own fundraiser? Check out how we can help with Your Way for MDA!
