EDGEWATER – Walking into the motorcycle dealership, Fritz von Heimburg felt a little intimidated, a little unsure. He had his eye on a Honda Gold Wing, but had never ridden nor even sat on a bike the size of this 960 lb. machine.
“The dealer said, ‘Well, how you are going to get it home?’ I said, ‘You’re going to drive it to my house and park it in my driveway, point it out,’” Fritz said. “And that’s exactly what he did.”
Cutline: Fritz and Jean von Heimburg have lived in Edgewater for six years. Jean, a teacher at DaVinci Academy in Elgin, and Fritz, a retired postal inspector and veteran, are both involved in Ride for Kids, a charitable motorcycle ride benefiting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. (Photo by Mason Souza/Sun Day)
The Gold Wing sat in the garage for a couple of hours before Fritz took it out. Over time, he grew comfortable with the bike and even bought another Gold Wing years later.
In no time, Fritz and his wife, Jean, were touring the country on their bike, joining the ranks of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association and trekking in packs to Yellowstone National Park, Huntsville, Ala., and Knoxville, Tenn.
When: July 15, 2012
Registration opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 9:15 a.m.
Where: Elgin Community College
1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin
More Information: rideforkids.org
The couple sold the Gold Wing last year and no longer ride. But they aren’t missing the open road and biker camaraderie of the group; instead, they’re thankful for other members showing them how they could use two wheels to help save lives.
The von Heimburgs were introduced in 2002 to the Chicago chapter of the Ride for Kids charity bike ride, which raises funds for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. They’ve stayed involved ever since.
“You go once, it’s just like you’re hooked,” Fritz said.
Fritz now works as route coordinator and helped plan the trip, which begins at Elgin Community College, heading south to St. Charles, then west to Campton Hills, and back up north, ending back at the college. Jean is the official photographer, documenting the bikes and children, known as “stars” in the program.
“It’s 50 miles, and you’ve got 1500 bikes. And you’re riding this ride and kids are standing on the side on the shoulders of the road, holding up signs, you know, “Thank you bikers. Thank you bikers,” Fritz said of the scene.
The Chicago ride culminates in a Celebration of Life in the ECC gymnasium, where the children and riders gather to celebrate and hear a cancer doctor from Chicago speak.
The foundation has been able to hold a symposium in Chicago with several doctors discussing brain tumors and has established a scholarship fund for its stars.
The annual ride is not the only thing that revs up Jean’s passion for helping kids develop; it shows through every day as she teaches third grade at DaVinci Academy in Elgin.
Jean’s teaching philosophy involves stirring up a sense of citizenship in her students and “teaching to the whole child.”
“It means not only teaching them the academics that they need to know, but it’s nurturing them through citizenship and conflict resolution,” she said. “I think that’s one of the things that’s missing: if a child is having a bad day, they can come up and hug me; they can’t do that in the public school.”
With 40 years of experience as both a classroom and music teacher, Jean appreciates the commitment to a well-rounded education at the academy.
“I want to make a difference in a child, and if it ends up being one, that’s okay,” she said.
Fritz is a retired postal inspector. Though not as well-known as the FBI or secret service, the United States Postal Inspection Service is the oldest federal law enforcement agency in the country, started by Benjamin Franklin in 1772.
The service is responsible for investigating mail fraud, pyramid schemes, murders, kidnappings, and any crimes that come into contact with the U.S. Postal Service. During his employment, Fritz would travel 44 out of 52 weeks in the year, flying out early Monday morning and back home on Friday, only to leave the next Monday.
It was 19 miles, 32 stoplights, and 7 steps – both up and down – that brought the von Heimburgs to Edgewater. Six years ago, the couple decided it was time to kiss the commute to DaVinci and the bi-level home goodbye, and they have been happy with their decision ever since.
Jean, now just two miles from work and three from her son and three grandchildren, has taken to the social life of the community, becoming a coordinator of the Girls Night Out Group.
She is also involved with Kardz R Us, a group that makes new greeting cards out of old ones. The proceeds go to the Elgin Crisis Center, and the group has raised $10,000 to date.
The von Heimburgs look forward to this year’s Ride for Kids on July 15 and are always looking for more volunteers.
