RE Log - Fall 2020

FALL 2020 Ransom Everglades LOG 37 Axel Hicks ’21 and Sebastian Hicks ’21 biked 2,565 miles from San Diego to Jacksonville over 35 days in June and July. They crossed seven state lines, slept in campgrounds and RV parks, endured temperatures in excess of 100 degrees, pedaled through driving rainstorms, fixed frequent flat tires and eluded dozens of dogs. They also raised $33,740 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami, an organization both boys – who are triplets along with sister Hanna Hicks ’21 – have supported as volunteer mentors for years. A week after their return, they presented a check for the amount they collected to Gale S. Nelson, president and CEO of the organization. “Axel and Sebastian have shown us the power of our youth,” Nelson said. “What began with their service as mentors led to their coast-to-coast bike ride to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami … We appreciate these young men for going the extra mile for our community.” The trek that began June 4 and ended July 8 was largely impromptu. Hicks trio cycles cross country for Big Brothers Big Sisters With all of the negativity arising during the COVID-19 crisis, and a long summer in front of them, the boys brainstormed about ways to support their favorite charity while taking advantage of weeks of unscheduled time. They settled on the idea of the cross-country bike ride, an idea proposed by their father, Jeffrey Hicks ’84 . Their first step: they had to buy road bikes. Neither boy had ever ridden competitively or even seriously. “Before the trip, the cycling I had done was going about a half of a mile to get ice cream,” Sebastian Hicks said. The boys trained for just over a week with their father, who agreed to accompany them, by riding about 30 miles a day over long, flat stretches in Miami. Their first day in California involved cycling 60 miles and climbing 6,000 feet. “On the first day, we went twice as far as we had ever gone before, and about 600 times more than we had ever gone uphill,” Sebastian said. “It was really difficult.” That night, the boys recalled, they were so tired they fell asleep at about 5 p.m. In the coming weeks, they gradually grew accustomed to being exhausted Joy Ride all of the time. On day 28 of the trek, as the trio awakened in a state park in Mandeville, La., (pop. 11,560) the senior Hicks officially assumed the mantle of Chair of the Ransom Everglades Board of Trustees. He celebrated with a swig of water from his water bottle, and he and his sons took off for their customary six hours and 80 miles of pedaling per day. The trio encountered poor terrain, headwinds, hills and heat – and sometimes all four – in the same day. They also met generous people, who supplied them with water, local travel advice and encouragement. Meanwhile, as they shared their story on social media, they collected more donations than they had imagined. The support from donors inspired them throughout the trip. “We were really psyched about that,” Axel said. “Big Brothers Big Sisters is a cause we really believe in. It feels like BBBS has a palpable impact on the community … You see some kids who go into the program in desperate situations, and it makes a world of difference for them. It’s pretty cool that we can make such a tangible impact.”