Just two days before the 2014 start of Race Across America, I am excited to announce that several of Pawpro Media’s photos from the 2012 race are included in the self-published book, What Spins The Wheel: Lessons In Leadership from Our Race for Hope” authored by Len Forkas, who successfully completed, won his age group, and finished tenth overall two years ago.

2012 Hopecam Team at Annapolis finish line.

I was a member of his 13 person crew and proud to have donated 15+ days (500+ hours) of my time, gear and professional video skills to cover the team and rookie racer riding to raise money for the charity he founded, Hopecam.org, which connects seriously ill children, who are homebound, with their schoolmates by way of online video chat.

Me, somewhere in Kansas.

During the race I produced 33 videos, that helped promote Hopecam and Forkas and helped raise over $300,000, which in turn led to the latest fundraising endeavor of his book recounting the 2012 race. It was a grueling schedule as a singlehanded videographer, editor and voice of the reports filed, which demanded I stay awake for 48 hours at a time fueled only by Skittles and Mounds for sections of the race.

Team Hopecam and Team Joe Barr meeting along the road in 2012 following Barr’s (shirtless, center) withdrawal from the competition.

In this year’s running of RAAM, Hopecam is supporting Team Joe Barr, a cyclist our 2012 Hopecam team became acquainted with before his unfortunate withdrawal from the competition in that year because of a serious bout with altitude sickness as he encountered the Rocky Mountains. Barr will ride this year to benefit Hopecam. Donations are welcome at Hopecam.org.

I wish Joe Barr and his team good health, good weather, good results on all accounts this year. Some consider this to be the toughest bike race in the world as it is a running clock, 3000 miles in 12 days, while the Tour de France is 2,200 miles in 23 days with stops and days off. Follow Team Joe Barr’s progress during the race at https://www.facebook.com/TeamJoeBarr.

Pawpro maintains a catalogue of video footage and stills from this 2012 event.