1st wedding anniversary gift

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- When trying to think of something to give his grandparents as they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August, Senior Airman Dexter Sargent IV thought of something they've done all their lives and that he knew was close to their hearts--helping other people.

His grandmother, Pat Clark, is a cancer survivor, and his grandfather, Bob Clark, has diabetes. So he decided to make donations to the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association and Shriner's Hospitals for Children in their names as surprise gifts.

The only problem he found with making the donations was that his senior airman salary wouldn't be enough to cover the $5,000 he wanted to give.

"When this new [Air Force] fitness plan came out, I started riding the stationary bikes in the fitness center," said the 9th Airlift Squadron loadmaster. "After riding those bikes for a while, I wanted to get my own bike at home so I could ride around Dover. After getting my own bike in October, I found a Web site that had routes to ride bikes across country and thought, 'Hey, I could do that!"

The Airman decided a road trip would be a great way to raise funds for his grandparents' anniversary gift. With the help of his supervisors, the cyclist was able to get three weeks of leave for the 2,200-mile trip, which he started from Dover in April.

A few rainy days, a couple dog encounters, a flat tire and 22 days later, Airman Sargent rode into Houston. The cyclist logged about 1,600 miles on his bike, averaging 80 miles each day.

"It was tough," he said about his ride. "I tried not to rush myself. I was just cruising. I didn't ride at race speed except for the times I had bursts of energy while being chased by dogs."

Though the young Airman's goal to raise $5,000 fell short at $3,100, he was still proud of the fact that he simply gave his grandparents an anniversary present they'll never forget. All the money raised was divided equally and donated to the three charities.

"The contribution started out with just my grandparents names on the donation, but everyone that helped will get their names included," he said.

Airman 1st Class

Brian Stives

436th Airlift Wing

Public Affairs