Route 66 Donor Challenge Takes Off from Chicago on June 1

Ride along with two boomers, Michael De Shane and Steven Vick, as they take the trip of their dreams along Route 66 and raise funds along the way to help elders in need. This duo starts off June 01 in Chicago, Jackson and Michigan Ave where Route 66 begins, for a 2448 mile journey that ends in Los Angeles, all in their Big Red Cadillac convertible. First initiated to celebrate Michael’s 66th birthday, the cross country trip is now the “vehicle” to raise awareness and funding for the Jessie Richardson Foundation, helping indigent elders across the US and in launching its Lives Fully Lived Campaign. Lives Fully Lived is a 5 year initiative to develop sustainable strategies to support indigent elders in Nicaragua that can be replicated in other developing countries with growing indigent elder populations. 

Who: Two boomers, Michael De Shane and Steven Vick, embark on the cross country trip of their lives, to benefit other boomers and aged in need

What: “Route 66 Donor Challenge”

When: June 01, leaving Chicago at 8:00am 

Where: Starting off at Jackson and Michigan Ave, Chicago, where Route 66 begins

Why: “Because Route 66 has been our dream since the Nat King Cole sang the hit song, and we’re not getting any younger! This trip celebrates 66 years of  me still being here, able to drive and ready to help other boomers and beyond that need help.” Michael De Shane, who is taking this trip as his 66th birthday present to help elders in need.

How to get more info: email or call Sharon Meyers at smeyerscomms@aol.com or 847 571 1499 direct

Meet Michael DeShane and Steven Vick

Michael DeShane - An Abridged Biography

On the morning of April 2, 1942 the US Navy aircraft carrier “Hornet” slipped under the Golden Gate Bridge; on her decks were 16 B-25 bombers setting out on the raid that dropped the first American bombs on Japan.  But the departure of Doolittle’s Raiders was not the only momentous event of that day.  Just 450 miles south of San Francisco Josephine DeShane was giving birth to a son, Michael Richard, in Alhambra General Hospital.  (Little did she know the joys that were to come.)  As it turns out April 2^nd was quite a date for important people and events.  On April 2, 1865 Jeff Davis, with his tail between his legs, flees Richmond as General Grant advances.  Also of note on April 2, 1917 Jeanette Rankin took her seat in congress as the first woman to be elected to congress.  Other famous April 2 birthdays include Thomas Jefferson, 1743; Jack “nothing but the facts, mam” Webb, 1918 and Sir Alec Guiness, 1914.  Excellent company indeed.

DeShane spent his early years in Los Angeles excelling in spelling and kickball. Following his family to Seattle where he attended Magnolia School, his first brush with fame came in the fourth grade where he received recognition for meritorious service as stair monitor. (This was the north stairwell, the toughest, most lawless stairs in the entire school.) After securing, in 1954, the little league home run record (4) for the entire Magnolia/Queen Anne League it was on to Catherine Blaine Junior High and a nearly notable series of successes. He undertook a grueling course of study; unfortunately his teachers lacked the foresight to see his hidden potential.  (His abiding interest in the intricacies of constitutional law and the i before e rule kept him from devoting much time to the less important subjects like math, english, history and wood shop.)  Leaving the conformist no-nothings of Junior High School it was on to Queen Anne High School, where he graduated in 1960 after only three years. (class position 387 of 399; GPA 1.34).  While weighing numerous offers from major colleges (he remained an accomplished speller) he was finally lured into service for his country.  He successfully served three years on Freedom’s Frontier with the US Army where he was instrumental in assuring that no foreign power attacked the United States during his entire time of service.  The Russians got within 90 miles, but DeShane was there (well, not really there, but in Hanau, Germany) to help assure that the godless commies were thrown back across the sea.  While not well known nor universally agreed upon, this was the actually beginning of the end of the Cold War and DeShane was, as usual, front and center and standing tall to help assure that our blessed land remained free.

After completing his selfless and noble mission for democracy DeShane returned to Seattle to resume his interrupted pursuit of an education.  Spelling skills still strong he applied and was accepted to Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington (home of the mothballed battleship, USS Missouri) where he majored in Psychology and minored in Theater.  It is not well known but DeShane’s portrayal of Verges in “Much Ado about Nothing” should have been critically acclaimed, “Yea, or else it were pity but they suffer salvation, body and soul.” (Act III, Scene III) After a not completely wasted two years in Bremerton it was on to San Jose, California where he attended San Jose State University and worked at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company helping build Polaris Missiles for the US Navy. (DeShane’s Secret clearance prohibits us from discussing his key duties at Lockheed.) DeShane also spent some time studying pharmacology in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco and continued his service to God and country by attempting to secure an honorable exit from Viet Nam.

Following graduation from San Jose State, missing honors by only two grade points, DeShane joined other Reagan refugees leaving California for the green pastures of Oregon.  Enrolling at Portland State University he took up the study of Urban Sociology where he plunged into to the pursuit of academic excellence.  (It is amazing how far one can go if one can spell well.) Obtaining an MA and a Ph.D, barely missing honors one more time, Deshane finally left the academic life and threw himself into the withered fruits of the labor market.  After trying, and damn near succeeding at, a number of productive positions DeShane finally found his life’s calling.  At the youthful age of forty-one he immersed himself into service to elders and the Greatest Generation.  Newly remarried to Dr. Keren Brown Wilson,  DeShane threw himself into the retirement and assisted living business where he became, with a bit of help from his new wife, exceedingly successful, sometimes admired and often tolerated. With the Deshane-Wilson partnership, both sides brought key strengths to the marriage, most importantly DeShane brought superior spelling skills while Wilson brought lesser, but still important strengths such as perseverance, intelligence and a commitment to finishing what she started.

Today, with his bucket nearly full (Well it would have been full, excepting only the hole in the bottom) and with his major skill made irrelevant by Spell Check,  DeShane is ready to embark upon a life’s dream – the complete navigation of what remains of Route 66 – the mother road, the highway of our country’s motoring youth, the black topped path to the golden streets of California, the belt that holds up the pants of our great democracy and, of course, another few weeks of not doing much of anything.     

Steven Vick’s Biography

Steven Vick was born early in his life. His keen mental abilities are only the beginning of his talents.   He is able to dissect and solve problems at record speeds; Steven has jaw dropping resourcefulness, a strong leader, understands 2+2 and is cute.   . 

This keen mental ability first showed up by age three.  Armed with a screw driver, He solved the problem of the bedroom door knob by dissecting the knob from the inside of the room rendering everyone speechless.  Words of praise were trumpeted as well as begging from outside the windows for him to put the door knob back on. 

Mr. Steven Vick began to work on building his first business.  This was not your average paperboy put one of great distinction.  Late hours of collection and early hours of delivery, Steven excelled at each of these tasks.  One of his early inventions was an alarm system that was able to wake up the whole household yet never disturbed his sleep.  This system helped him keep his whole family involved in his new business, Paper Boy Vick. 

 Steven Lofthus Vick knew he needed more on his resume so he became a farmer’s assistant.  This included the scooping and spreading of manure, these skill he still uses today.    At age 14 he was getting paid $2.00 an hour and had negotiated an employment contract that allowed him to work every day after school and pay for all the equipment that broke under his watch. This was the beginning of his understanding of numbers $2.00 -$2.00 is something less than $2.00.  Yes Mr. Steven Vick truly worked for the love of the job.   Steven’s resourcefulness was reported in the Wichita Eagle and Beacon when his boss accidentally burnt down the barn and Steven Vick was found to be roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the flames, pictures were taken. 

On to College where Mr. Vick crammed 4 years of college into 5, he has been quoted as saying his freshman year was the longest two years of his life.  The CPA exams that followed were tuff but Steven plowed through again and again.   

Steven worked in a CPA firm; there he was introduced to the nursing home industry which later in life brought him to the assisted living industry.  He cofounded his first assisted living company in 1991.  This is where Mr. Steven Vick and Dr. Michael  DeShane were introduced.  This powerful duo shook the midwest, they traveled the roads of Kansas and Oklahoma. The duo stopped at memorable sites, the world’s largest hand dug well and the biggest ball of twine and Big Brutus.

 The duo is ready to hit the road again; equipped with 8 track tapes, bowling shirts, their doctor’s approval and supply of medications.   Mr. Vick and Dr. DeShane are ready to get their kicks on route 66.