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Sunday, March 11, 2012

A Little Over a Year Ago....................

11:22 PM | Posted by Plochman |

A little over a year ago around the time of the Tampa Crit, I wrote the first post on what was to be the "Team Keri" blog. It was titled after some of the things that Keri and I had spoken about when I first had heard that she had a problem, Love in shades of Black, Purple and Bright Blue. (link to post here)

Today I can report to everyone that our work here is done, with your help and support, Keri went to Washington DC for her special treatment last summer and she came through with flying colors. I've been told that her cancer is totally gone. So now that the Tamp Crit is coming back to town, I thought it would be a good time to close this out and thank everyone one more time for helping me and others to help Keri get to the other side.

She looks great and recently finished up a Marathon and a Half Marathon at Disney paying it forward for a great cause and even took home a Goofy Medal, (imagine that ?) So when you see her at the end of the month at the Tampa Crit, take a moment to give her a big hug and tell her thanks for keeping up her end of the deal.

Respectfully,

Michael Ploch

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Monday, June 20, 2011

Sandy Scott Takes National Time Trial Title in Houston

4:59 PM | Posted by Plochman |

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Sandy Scott takes National Time Trial record at the Senior Olympic Games today in Houston Texas and is sporting his Team Keri shirt on the podium. Way to show some love Sandy !

A fitting tribute to the slogan "Come Fly with Me !"

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Friday, April 29, 2011

A Special Message For Team Keri People

9:20 AM | Posted by Plochman |

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Please take a moment to view a very important message.

Imbedded video sponsored by Talk Fusion

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Friday, April 15, 2011

I Met Keri Exactly 1 Year Ago...........

6:49 PM | Posted by Plochman |

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By: Jim Martin (submitted on 3/25/2011)

I met Keri exactly 1 year ago today! It's our anniversary. A mutual friend had told me of this unique person who could help me with chip timing for a couple of events I was planing on in NC. Boy, was right!

After talking with Keri regarding my needs for the events, I could tell that I was not only was she the one I wanted to do our events, (she "gets it") but I could tell I was dealing with one of those people that you just want to have in your life. I mean, you're just drawn in & you're a better person for just being around her.

Keri is a Wonder Woman

She (on the first phone call) invited me to come to The Tampa Crits to see how it all worked. She & Bill, took me in that weekend & my suspicions from our first phone call were confirmed, she (and Bill) are that special. The weekend was fine for the racing & the information I learned about chip timing. (we're behind the 8 ball in NC) but it was even better from meeting friends that will last a lifetime.

When she finally showed up in NC, I had the opportunity for Keri to meet my wife Lisa. The two were instantly bonded & to this day the warmth & caring that is shown by Keri to her is unprecedented.

Keri & BIll after spending a couple of race weekends with them are now like family. They've opened their home to us, which has touched both of us deeply.

Just wanted to share this.

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Monday, April 11, 2011

You know what else Keri and I have in common?

11:28 PM | Posted by Plochman |

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By: Robyn Weinbaum

Dear Keri

We’re both talented, tall, beautiful, rich, hanging with the Kardashians and the Hiltons, Paris and Perez, frequenting hot spots from South Beach to the South Bank. Yes, that’s us, Keri and Robyn, living the life others read about waiting in line at the supermarket, checking out the Onion or trolling the Daily Buzz.

Not ! Oh, Keri and I have lots in common, to the point that I wonder if we are twins separated at birth. We love purple, We never sleep, We think any variant of red hair is the ONLY kind of hair to have, to the point that we get bulk rate discounts from L’Oreal and Clairol. Except when we go with purple, because purple hair is kinda cool, too.

And we are not cyclists.

Nope, no way, no how, are we cyclists. Not by any definition you will find in Meriam-Webster, at Bicycling Magazine, on Hal Downing’s newsletter, at RoadBikeRider.com or at Floridaracingmagazine.com or Floridaracing.com or imbikemag.com or bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com. Okay, maybe by BikeSnob’s definition we are cyclists, but not by any other. We play with them, hang with them, adore them, yell at them, even sleep with them, but we are not cyclists.

We ride bikes because we like it. We think nothing of ‘dropping and giving us 150 plus miles’ for an MS150, but we are not cyclists. We don’t like to get sweaty. We don’t like working that hard or looking icky or, god forbid, maybe breaking one of our perfectly manicured fingernails or running our mascara. Smudging lipstick is okay, we do that lots because we really like kissing cyclists, from the Pro 1/2s down to the itty-bitty pre-juniors and the babies in the burleys.

You know what else Keri and I have in common? Cancer.

Keri lives it and I live in fear of it. Keri reminds me every day that I am multiple high and one report away from the release handle on the guillotine, that the ‘benign finding’ report I received in yesterday’s mail might be superceded by the uterine biopsy report I will get at 9 am Monday. And the frisson on the edge of that blade?

Neither of us have medical insurance. Did you know that a routine breast MRI costs $1200 if you pay cash but they charge the insurance companies $1800 for the same service? That most doctors will discount the standard cost of a visit’ from $150 to $80 if you pay cash/credit card? That even pharmaceuticals can be purchased at a discount if you sign up for an uninsured plan at Walgreen’s or get them shipped from Canada? I guess that’s kind of a bargain except if you have insurance, if you are in a pool, that cost gets spread over all the members, it does not come directly from the money you’ve set aside to pay the rent or the car loan or even the electric bill. Gee whiz, I love a bargain.

I know the numbers, the stress and distraction of juggling finances and schedules and treatments. I look at Keri, who lives every moment in joy, who loves her son, her Bill, who would not change a thing except to make this cancer go away and stay away, like a head rolling out of the zinc lined straw basket, off the platform and onto the ground for the waiting hordes to use it as a soccer ball.

Team-Keri with "Keri" at the Tampa Crit.

If you are reading this, you are here, with us, in this moment, living this with Keri.

We love you, Keri. I love you, Keri. Anything you need, I’m here. I’ll even wear that mustard colored shirt.

Who picked that background color, anyway?

Robyn

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Saturday, February 26, 2011

"Both of us are children of the 80's" - Keri & I

12:38 AM | Posted by rjrmommy |

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Written by: Jill Finnerty Ricardo

I don't even know how long I've known Keri. At least a decade now. I met her at a bike race too but it wasn't as a racer--I haven't been on a bicycle (a beach cruiser even, never a racing bike!) since before I met Keri!--but as an organizer of the then-called Dade Battle of Brilliance in Dade City. I worked for the jewelry store that sponsored the race and Keri was officiating. She was pretty intense that day, working hard keeping racers in line and making sure everything was going well. She knew what she was doing and she did it well. I was a really impressed and a little intimidated!

When I later got a chance to know Keri on a personal level, I found one of the most warm, giving, and loving women I've ever had the honor to know. She is hysterically funny. Keri's sharp wit is one of the things I love most about her--you know it won't be long before you're laughing when you're with her and her take on the world is pretty hilarious. Keri is also unfailingly honest. What you see is what you get with her and that is so refreshing in this PC world.

She is also incredibly compassionate, helping me through some very rough times such as a miscarriage I had several years ago. She didn't give me platitudes like, "oh it's probably for the best" or "at least you have other children," she just let me be sad and angry and she hugged me and told me I'd be ok. She was right.

One of the things I love most about Keri is all that we have in common. Both of us are children of the 80's. I'm sure we have pictures from high school that are nearly the same--big hair and all. So when I want to go see Rick Springfield or Duran Duran who do I turn to first? Keri, of course. My husband will go with me but Keri will scream like a teenager and jump up and down if we get to touch our Rick's hand! She's fun like that.

Because she's funny and compassionate and fun, when I heard about Keri's cancer, I was devastated. Not Keri. Not the woman who is SO full of life. Not the mother who loves her Eric as passionately as I love my four kids. Not the woman who is so in love with Bill that you can feel it when they look at each other. Not the woman who will hold my hand when I'm sad or send me a quick email just to say she's thinking of me because she's thoughtful like that.

When I learned that she did not have insurance to cover the treatment and did not have the thousands of dollars in cash to pay for it and that made me angry. NO ONE should have to suffer because there's not enough money for treatment and all the expenses that go along with it, especially our Keri. That's just not going to happen.

So, I got to thinking of what I could do and eventually hooked up with the previous poster, Michael Ploch, whom I've never met but we are bonded through Keri. This blog, the fundraising, the t-shirt...this is what we've come up with to try to help Keri.

We want to raise AT LEAST $20,000 to cover treatment, travel expenses and any other thing that Keri needs to make her life easier so that she can concentrate on FIGHTING!! I didn't mention above that Keri is a fighter but that is probably one of her most important qualities. She doesn't give up, she doesn't feel sorry for herself, she just moves forward taking each day, each blessing, each heartache as they come. She will win, I am sure of it, but now she needs our help--money if you have it, prayers most certainly.

She will win because she has to--for all of us.

Jill

Ps. In order to keep this blog going with fresh content, Michael and I would like anyone who has their own Keri story that you would like for us to post, please submit it to Michael so we can try to work it in, please include any pictures that will help paint the picture. Submit your story via e-mail using this link.

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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Love In Shades Of Black, Purple & Bright Blue...........

9:00 PM | Posted by Plochman |

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Love comes in all shades but today, I think I will put it in Shades of Black, Purple and Bright Blue. These are the colors of somebody I find to be very special, a person who knows no strangers, someone you can look at and peer into their soul and find no malice or strife. Such a beautiful creature that God has created who I really don’t even know except for the few races I have been too.

I met Ms. Keri Burns only a year or so ago at the 1st Annual Tampa Downtown Twilight Criterium and I will never forget the first time I saw her, she was wearing one of the event shirts I had printed and I noticed those huge eyes and bright smile as I walked up and the first thing she did was to give me a big hug. Throughout the day I watched her as she spoke to the riders while they were all hustling around the track calling nearly each one by name as if she had known them forever. You could see the look on their faces when she would finally shout out 5 laps to go signaling the end of the race, it was if those words were the sweetest sounds to the ears of those who struggled to breath with each passing lap. Her voice was like velvet to the ears tickling the legs to respond for one more lap and then the race would be over. It’s funny when you think of some of the sights and sounds you remember when at these bicycle races and Keri's voice is one I will not soon forget.

Since this was the first time I had been to a bicycle race, I was amazed at all the sights and sounds all around me and soon after the last race was over they prepared for yet another one, this time for the Pro1/2 field and they announced that this was the time they would have the color guard out and the National Anthem was sung for all. One of the most touching moments for me that I will never forget was when they were playing the National Anthem, I snapped a picture of this wonderful person whom I had just met that was taking in the moment, truly touched by what was transpiring. I could tell that all her hard work and toil was paying off and she was feeling it while this was all going on.

Soon after the Tampa Crit was over, I was inspired to start racing myself and over time have gotten to know this gem of a person. We have had several conversations and recently learned that she was keeping a secret from all of us, a very important and personal secret one that I'm sure is quite painful to discuss and share and that is that Ms. Keri has a rare form of Cancer, one that only special treatment can be administered for it and the cost is let’s just say it’s out there, much more than any mere mortal can afford who may not have any health insurance.

When I first heard of the news, I thought is she going to be ok ? What can I do to help ? Oh my god how can this be true ? Keri ?

I sent her a photo on Facebook of my Livestrong band that I had written her name on in a way to say FIGHT KERI FIGHT ! She posted it as her profile picture in case you want to take a look at it. After speaking with her just the other day, she wants to FIGHT IT but we live in a day where if you don’t have health insurance and the money is not there then the treatment will not be there either.

With this condition watching and waiting just doesn’t cut it, we need to all rise up NOW TODAY and help her with this fight for all that are able and all that are willing I say we FIGHT ! We FIGHT ! with our mouths and tell everyone we know, we FIGHT ! with our wallets and we give until we cannot give any more, we FIGHT ! with our efforts to recruit more FIGHTERS ! who will stand in the gap for our friend, we will FIGHT ! until the battle to raise the funds for TEAM KERI are raised so she can then FIGHT BACK ! and kick cancer's butt !

But most of all I ask that you pray to whatever it is that you pray too and cry out for my friend to hold on and to FIGHT ! this thing with all her strength and all her might because we love her and we are a selfish people who will not quit fighting for her to be around for a while yet, so Ms. Keri, you have no choice but to work with us now, your secret is out and your army is rising, it’s time for you to share the love in shades of Black, Purple and Bright Blue with Hearts all around and take it to this disease and knock it out once and for all.

WE STAND WITH YOU !

Help us in our fight, we have a goal of $ 20,000.00 and with everyone helping out we can do our part to send Ms. Keri to Washington DC for her treatment. EVERY little bit helps, $ 5.00, $ 10.00 whatever you have to support the FIGHT is great. Just click on one of the paypal buttons on the right and make your contribution today.