Bob Jones spent the past summer on a coast-to-coast sight-seeing trip.
Nothing unusual about that, except for two things: He did it on a bicycle. And he’s 76 years old.
Jones, the managing partner for Towson-based Jones Hall Advisors and a life member of the MACPA, spent 48 days and 3,300 miles on a bicycle as part of last summer’s Big Ride Across America, a fund-raising event to benefit the American Lung Association. Starting June 25 in Seattle, 44 riders averaged 83 miles per day as they made their way to Washington D.C., where they crossed the finish line on Aug. 11.
Along the way, they saw, in Jones’ words, “some awesome scenery” and raised some serious cash. To qualify for the ride, each rider had to raise a minimum of $5,500 in donations. Jones, who suffers from chronic asthma, felt especially motivated: He alone raised more than $13,500 for the Lung Association’s cause.
“The American Lung Association’s research has aided in the development of medications that allowed me to do this, whereas 25 years ago I was close to death several times with asthma,” he said. “It was very important to me to be a part of this.”