'Lawnmower Man' Reaches Bridge in 17-mph Ride Across America
Fife Lake Man Crosses Michigan as 14th State
By Paul Gingras

Lou Ransom of Fife Lake is on a charity ride to help ill children. He attempted to cross the Mackinac Bridge Thursday, May 17, on his mower. The Bridge Authority chose to transport him via trailer, instead. Mr. Ransom plans to cross all 48 continental states. He is pictured here at the State Police station in St. Ignace, prior to heading down US-2.

On a ride to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network and Shriners Hospitals for Children, Lou Ransom of Fife Lake has been driving across the United States on a lawnmower. He began in Fort Wayne, Texas, and reached the Mackinac Bridge Thursday, May 17.

Michigan is the 14th state on Mr. Ransom's route, which crosses all 48 continental states. A former truck driver, Mr. Ransom began riding March 12, and plans to finish March 12, 2008, in Washington, D.C.

Spending the summer covering all of the northern states, Mr. Ransom calls himself the "Travelin' Dude" and his journey is named "The 1 Big Ride." The mower can go 17 miles an hour. So far, Mr. Ransom has averaged 60 miles a day. As the weather improves, his goal is to travel 100 miles a day. He camps at night and carries his food with him.

The mower is prohibited from motoring across the bridge, so Mackinac Bridge Authority transported him via trailer and dropped him off at the Michigan State Police station in St. Ignace, where he said he would proceed down US-2, head for Marquette, and pass into Wisconsin.

"I would have liked to have driven over," he said of the bridge, "but I understand they have construction going on, and I don't want to be a hazard." Mr. Ransom said he appreciated the Bridge Authority's accommodations.

"If nothing else, I'm creating awareness," he said, remarking on his choice to raise money for children in need. He has one child who died, has known several ill nieces and nephews, and he visited the Shriners Hospital in New Jersey, which made a strong impression on him.

He chose to focus on the Shriners and Children's Miracle Network because most donations go directly to children in need, and little is used for administrative purposes, he said.

Although Mr. Ransom cannot check on the progress of the donations, he hopes many people have chosen to help children as a result of his ride, which has been well covered by the media. Since he began, Mr. Ransom, 48, has been interviewed by 23 news channels and 250 newspapers.

He hopes to fulfill two more dreams. One is to see the Cut River Bridge in Hendricks Township. Another is to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest lawnmower ride in history, which was a 14,594.5- mile ride by Gary Hatter in 2000- 2001.

The dream to cross the country came to him 20 years ago. The Big Ride way of achieving it came to him four or five years ago, when he read about the longest lawnmower ride.

Mr. Ransom has experienced harsh weather, but he said the memory of ill children keeps him going.

Children's Miracle Network is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Shriners is based in Tampa, Florida.

Links to his chosen charities can be found on Mr. Ransom's Big Ride Web site, the1bigride.com, and he asks that donors note his ride in their e-mails.