Farallon Principal and Southern California resident Steve Figgins has commuted to work by bicycle since 1997.  With his round-trip commute of 42 miles and weekend rides of 60 to 80 miles, Steve averages between 4,000 and 5,000 biking miles per year, making him Farallon’s official Road King. 

Steve rode in his first charity biking event in 2000 as a challenge, and as a way to get into shape to accomplish his personal goal to ride 100 miles in 1 day.  The event Steve chose was the 2-day 150-mile Pacific South Coast Chapter MS 150 event from Orange County to San Diego.  Annual Bike MS events held in many locations are sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society to raise money to support MS research.

After telling friends about the event, Steve discovered that people he knew had friends and relatives who were suffering from MS.  “A friend’s wife had her world turned upside down when she was overcome by MS in her 30s,” Steve remembers.  “She was barely able to walk, and couldn’t read or drive a car.  Thanks to MS treatments, she has her life back again, and is doing exceptionally well.”

Steve committed himself to supporting the fight against MS.  Since 2000, Steve has participated in the MS 150 event almost every year, and has raised $34,742 for MS research and support.  In 2016, Steve raised $5,272, contributing to the Pacific South Coast Chapter’s highest fundraising year of $2.6 million. 

“You most likely know people who have MS, or have friends who are close to someone who suffers from MS,” Steve says.  “You don’t need to bicycle 150 miles, but if you are looking for a worthwhile charity that really helps people deal with a very challenging disease, consider an MS walk or an MS bicycle ride.  The shorter routes are just as much fun and challenging, and you get in better shape while helping other people. Now that’s a worthwhile effort!”

December 1, 2016

Farallon Project Geologist Lyndsey Needham helps others negotiate the road to recovery.

Lyndsey really was born a coal miner’s daughter.  During her journey from Appalachia to the Pacific Northwest, Lyndsey has been in both the right place at the right time and the wrong place at the wrong time, and has overcome tremendous challenges along the way.

After graduating from Boise State University with a Master’s degree in Geology, Lyndsey moved to Bellingham, Washington to pursue her passion for mountain bike racing.  “I worked in a bike shop for 6 months when I arrived in Bellingham,” Lyndsey recalls.  “One day in 2007, Paul Grabau [Operations Manager of Farallon’s Bellingham office] walked into the bike shop and mentioned something about geology.  When I told him I had a Master’s degree in Geology, he told me he had an open position at Farallon.  Classic right place at the right time scenario!”

Although she didn’t know it at the time, Lyndsey also had been in the wrong place at the wrong time:  “I contracted Lyme disease from a tick bite while I was attending a field camp for geologic mapping in Italy in 2004.  After recovering from the initial symptoms without treatment, I returned to my regular life and continued mostly symptom-free until 2009.”  Lyndsey’s symptoms worsened until she was no longer able to live the active life she loved, although it took another 2 years to diagnose her illness.  “Finally,” Lyndsey says, “I tested positive for Lyme disease in 2011, and began treatment.  While I was in treatment, I started a blog to share my story, and to connect with others who also were going through treatment and recovering from Lyme disease.”

Lyndsey’s first blog post sparked an outpouring of support.  “Connection with others was so important to my recovery,” she recalls, “I wanted to provide the same support to those still struggling with Lyme disease.”  Readers of her blog began contacting Lyndsey for support and advice in navigating the overwhelming amount of information available about the disease.  “Since I have a background in science and technical writing, I can understand and interpret current research and treatment modalities, and share that information with others in a more digestible format.” 

Lyndsey also offers personal support to people who reach out to her.  “Over the past 3 years, I’ve met probably 30 people either in person or over the phone who are newly diagnosed with Lyme disease.  I share my knowledge about the disease and effective treatments, and my experience with mindfulness practices, helpful diet, and supplement modifications.  Sometimes what people need most is for someone to simply listen to them, to be present with an open heart to hear their struggles, and to let them know they’re not alone.”

Farallon is very fortunate that Lyndsey was in the right place at the right time to become part of our team.  The people she helps navigate chronic illness are perhaps even more fortunate that Lyndsey was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and through surmounting her own challenges found such a powerful way to help others.

For more information about current research and statistics, Lyndsey recommends the Global Lyme Alliance.

October 10, 2016
Farallon Technical Editor Bonnie Willis turned a lifelong hobby into a source of comfort for children with serious illnesses.

Bonnie, who has ensured the quality of Farallon’s documents for the past 10 years, has been a needleworker from childhood.  During long Midwest winters, Bonnie learned to knit and crochet, and tried her hand at needlepoint before discovering her niche in cross-stitching.  “Eventually, however,” Bonnie says, “every needleworker runs out of family, friends, and wall space for the things s/he makes, and needs to find other outlets.”  Thanks to the Internet, charity groups that welcome hand-crafted creations of volunteers are easy to find.

Bonnie currently is involved with Love Quilts USA, a group of volunteers who hand-stitch quilts for children with life-threatening and life-altering illnesses.  Stitchers from all over the world cross-stitch squares incorporating the theme chosen by the child or parent, and send the squares to a quilter for assembly and delivery to the child.  Quilt themes have included super heroes, princesses, world landmarks, sports, Disney characters, and even Pokémon.
   
As Bonnie discovered, contributing to a quilt can be an investment of emotions as well as time.  “I remember the first time a child I had stitched for passed away.  It was heart-wrenching, and I thought, what was the point of doing all this stitching if the child was going to die?  But then I learned that the Love Quilt made for this child brought great consolation to the family as a memory of the comfort it had brought to their child.  I now know I am stitching love for both the child and the family into each square.” 

Bonnie estimates she’s stitched several hundred squares for Love Quilts USA.  “I recently finished a hockey square for a sports-themed quilt.  Next I’m starting a square for a ‘Thank Heaven for Little Girls’ quilt.” 

Farallon clients benefit greatly from the command of content, structure, and grammar Bonnie applies to each document.  The Farallon family and complete strangers benefit even more from her generosity and compassion.

Love Quilts USA Facebook page