Mark with his wife, Mary White-Foster.
First-time rider Mark Foster is one of the top fundraisers for this year’s Rides4ALZ. He’s already brought in 51 donations, and raised more than $6,800 to help local families impacted by dementia!
Mark grew up racing dirt bikes as a kid, but after his son bought a Harley, Mark fell in love with street bikes.
“I was nervous about him getting a bike, in fact I was a nervous wreck, he says. “I made him go through a motorcycle safety class. But then I rented one and we went out riding and had a ton of fun, so I bought one!”
Currently Mark rides a 2015 Harley Davidson Road Glide Special, and he likes working on it as much as riding. He says he’s bonded with fellow riders. It is amazing what the motorcycle community does for so many people!
“The community is made up of some of the nicest and most loyal people I know,” Mark says. “If you want a bike that has soul and want to see the best that the motorcycle community has to offer, you get a Harley. It is kind of like an extension of yourself.”
RELATED | Support Mark’s Rides4ALZ team
Riding has become a family affair.
“My wife really likes riding on the back as well, when she was going through law school that was the only way I could get her to take a break,” he adds. “Although I’m pretty sure she was still listing to lectures on her earphones…”
Mark did not participate in last year’s Rides4ALZ, but decided that he was going to join his colleagues at SDG&E and take part this time around. He knows all too well the earth-shattering toll that dementia can have on families. A few years ago, his wife lost her grandmother to the disease. Just last year, her mother was diagnosed with dementia. With many others on his transmission team at work having similar stories, Mark decided to step up to the plate.
“We set the original goal of $1,000, but our team hit that pretty quickly. We kept increasing the goal and passing (SDG&E President) Scott Drury, but now that Scott’s at $8,000, we changed the goal to $8,001,” he says with a laugh. “What I’m happy about is the fact that our donations are not corporate. They’re from people who have experience with this disease and the passion to do something about it.”
Mark said his fundraising advice boils down to just speaking from the heart, people will see why your passionate about your cause.
“You can only go to the well so many times, so make sure you’re only asking people when you are really fighting for something you believe in,” he says. “This is a great cause because it affects so many people, and you know that the money is staying in your backyard.”
As with all Alzheimer’s San Diego events, every dollar raised stays in San Diego County to help the community we know and love.
Want to make a difference in the lives of the 84,000+ San Diegans living with dementia? Click here to sign up for Rides4ALZ or to make a donation.
