Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Interview with Dick, Martha, Katherine, Lili Stobbs

Aired August 26, 2002 - 08:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We first introduced you to the Stobbs family back in June as they headed off on an unusual summer vacation. They hit the road on their bikes on a coast-to-coast journey. We met them in Washington state. They started their odyssey there on June 26. They have made it as far as Wisconsin, about halfway to their destination, Boston.
The plan, not just a bike ride. They are trying to raise $120,000 for the leukemia and lymphoma society, and their inspiration -- friends Ang Ezekiel, and Lori Moll. Ang and Lori have fought the devastating diseases.

They are now joining us from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the halfway point of their journey. And with us this morning, Martha and Dick Stobbs, and their daughters, Lili and Katherine -- Stobbs family, good morning. So good to see you again.

DICK STOBBS: Good morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning. How are you?

KAGAN: You are looking well and in one piece. Let's first talk of the goal of this operation, and that is to raise as I said, $120,000. How are your fund-raising efforts going?

MARTHA STOBBS, MOTHER: We are thrilled to death. We are so excited. We have actually raised $92,000.

KAGAN: Really?

M. STOBBS: It is amazing to us. Yes. One small family, we have done that. So we have $30,000 to go. It seems huge. But after all, if there were 300 people who were interested in leukemia and lymphoma research and wanted to donate $100, we'd be there.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: You only halfway, and you're well over halfway of your fund-raising goal, so that's excellent.

M. STOBBS: Yes. We're so...

DICK STOBBS, FATHER: We feel fortunate. People have been generous all along, and our friends back in Atlanta and associates back there, they have been generous to us, and people along the way have come up and, as we have said before, given donations to us and sent money in. So we're very pleased with the receptions we've had.

KAGAN: What about physically, how has this trip gone for you?

M. STOBBS: We're in great shape.

KATHERINE STOBBS, DAUGHTER: Everybody is holding up really well, probably a lot better than we thought we would.

LILI STOBBS, DAUGHTER: We've got some bruises and everything like that. But besides that, we're doing just fine.

M. STOBBS: We are not done yet, but I think we are holding up.

D. STOBBS: Only a couple falls, but the real hard part has been the head winds. We have had some tremendous head winds along the way. We're supposed to have tail winds, but we have had head winds, so that has been the only really hard, hard part there.

KAGAN: The only thing I can think when I think about your journey -- the only to say, I'm thinking sore tushy. How are you dealing with that?

L. STOBBS: We've got four of those, I think.

K. STOBBS: Hasn't been bad, has not been...

KAGAN: Lili, let's talk about -- let's talk about who you are doing this in honor of. First of all, some people who are near and dear to your heart who have been fighting this disease, some more successfully than others.

L. STOBBS: Right. One of the girls we're doing this in honor of is Lori Moll. She died at 23 of leukemia. She was just an outstanding young woman, she was an excellent leader and an excellent role model. She was the president of the sorority at Gettysburg College, where we graduated from together. She was the co-captain of the soccer team. She just -- it's just too bad that her life was cut short. She just had wonderful potential, and it's a great loss, it is a great loss to society because she was just going to be able to do wonderful things.

And the other girl, Ang Ezekiel, is another sorority sister that graduated in '97 with me also. She is in her second year of remission from Hodgkin's lymphoma, and she is doing very well, and we're so happy. Ang is another outstanding young woman, she's such a giver, and she is caring and she's, you know, would give you the shirt off your back if you -- I mean, she'd give you the shirt off of her back if you asked for her back. She's just wonderful, and so we're so proud to be able to do it for these two women. They're just marvelous.

KAGAN: And then I understand you're expanding your circle of honor and you are trying to honor a different patient each day. So why don't you tell us how you're doing that, maybe Katherine can pipe in with that and tell us who you are riding for today, who you are honoring today. K. STOBBS: Sure. Today we're riding for Linton Hopkins Jr., who is a Hodgkin's lymphoma survivor and a dear friend of ours, and he has gone on to become a chef, and is actually going to be opening his own restaurant in Atlanta soon, so we're so happy today to be able to honor him and his family and his struggle and survival.

When we were thinking about different ways to involve family and friends and other people that wanted to get involved with our trip, we came up with this honored friend idea. And when sending in a donation, people can also send in names of loved ones, friends, anybody they have known who has struggled with leukemia or lymphoma, and it's so wonderful everyday to be able to pull out a new name and honor someone, and honor a family who has been able to -- or who is struggling or has survived.

D. STOBBS: Daryn, thanks to you, we have received over the Internet many letters because of our show with you on CNN, and people have asked us to ride for them on their behalf. So, you had an awful -- wonderful effect for us. So you've been effective for us, thank you very much.

KAGAN: I'll say thank you on behalf of CNN. I feel like I am just doing a little part here and I am getting the honor of talking to you guys. On a travel question, here, the other part of this is that you are getting a very unique way of seeing America. Bill was very interested in your story, and he was wondering, what's the best place you have ridden your bike through so far?

D. STOBBS: Glacier?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Glacier, maybe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Glacier National Park.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

L. STOBBS: There's a road called Going to the Sun, and if you talk to anybody that knows about Going to the Sun, you tell them that you biked to the top of it, they're just amazed.

K. STOBBS: Anybody that's driven to the top, it's just an -- it is a beautiful spot, and the sense of accomplishment is incredible when you know you've biked up it, and the vistas...

M. STOBBS: It's in the Rockies. It's the crowning glory of the Rockies, and there was a lot of snow pack left in Glacier when we went over the top.

K. STOBBS: Lots of wildflowers.

M. STOBBS: It's spectacular.

D. STOBBS: And then, one of the great parts is -- I'm sorry. After we had gone down, you look back and you think, my goodness, I can't believe we crossed over that. That was a real thrill.

L. STOBBS: It was about 6,700 feet high.

KAGAN: Well, we got to see off in Washington state. Now, the halfway point. September 20 is the goal for Boston. I hope we will be able to check in with you then. The Stobbs family. Thank you so much. Good luck and safe travels.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bye-bye.

M. STOBBS: Boston, here we come!

KAGAN: Good luck.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com