The WiMi Wish Ride is now accepting registrants for the 200-mile ride on Saturday, Aug. 9, to Sunday, Aug. 10. Above, event organizer Rick Downs takes a break after a ride.

MARINETTE, Wis. — A first-time bike ride is getting off the ground this year.

The WiMi Wish Ride is now accepting registrants for the 200-mile ride on Saturday, Aug. 9. to Sunday, Aug. 10. They are also looking for sponsors and volunteers.

Not only is the WiMi Make-A-Wish Ride launching for the first time this year, but the collaboration between the states is also a first, said Ride Director Glenn Costie.

“Participating in the WiMi Wish Ride is a historic opportunity for our riders,” Costie said. “To our knowledge, this is the first ride that supports two state chapters of Make-A-Wish. The ride will spend two beautiful days touring Northeast Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.”

The bike ride will start in Marinette, Wis., and end its first day in Kingsford. The second day will loop around, with a different route through Menominee County, ultimately ending up back in Marinette.

The locally organized event will benefit Make-A-Wish Wisconsin and Make-A-Wish Michigan.

Rick Downs, an event organizer, said that the ride represents a positive memory for the kids and families affected by critical illnesses. He spoke of a father who recognized him because they had met years earlier at a ride. The father’s son was noticeably absent.

“There was a tear in the guy’s eye, and he said, ‘Thank you for coming again,'” Downs said. “He was happy I came back, but there was sadness, because his son had passed away.”

That’s when he realized that granted wishes from Make-A-Wish weren’t just for the child — they served as a positive memory for the family during their darkest days.

“That’s why I made a commitment to do Make-A-Wish for the rest of my life,” Downs said.

The newly formed ride route will include daily lunch stops, with volunteers from local schools and organizations serving the 200 cyclists permitted to join the event. Each participant will need to raise $550 in donations.

Paul Lata, event consultant, said that he hopes people experience all the counties have to offer along the route, which will go through Marinette, Florence, Dickinson, and Menominee. The communities feature kayaking, mountain biking trails, and golfing.

“There are lots of opportunities in Marinette and Menominee as well as Iron Mountain and Kingsford,” Lata said.

They are thankful for generous donations from Pieper Electric in New Berlin and Integra First Federal Credit Union in Menominee to get the ride up and running for 2025.

For more information, or to become a rider, sponsor, or volunteer, go to wimiwishride.org.