Cloquet student to take part in MS-150 bike tour

Talk about it

For Cloquet High School senior-to-be Luke Heine, being busy is a way of life.

Last year, Heine lettered in five activities and held down the top academic ranking in the incoming Class of 2013. So what will he do for a summer encore?

How does taking a 150-mile bike trip sound?

On Saturday, Heine will take part in the annual MS 150 bike marathon, a two-day excursion from Proctor to White Bear Lake High School, with a stop in Hinckley in between.

“I’ve liked cycling since I was a little kid,” Heine said. “My first racing bike was given to me by Dr. Ken Ripp, along with the shoes and everything else I needed. I love the feeling and the freedom you have when you’re on a bike.”

And, as part of the trip, Heine will raise money to fight multiple sclerosis, a disease that affected his paternal grandfather, who passed away before Heine was born.

“MS has been in my family,” Heine said. “It’s an excellent cause to raise money for. My grandfather had it, and my dad talks about it because some of his friends are getting it too. It’s sad to see.”

According to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, research has shown that the disease is more common in locations farther away from the equator – meaning Minnesotans are more likely to contract MS than, say, Texans.

“Minnesota has lots of cases,” Heine said.

So, Heine has decided to help do something about it. He used his lunch hours during the spring term at the high school to visit local businesses in an attempt to raise money.

“Cloquet is an active community when it comes to this sort of thing,” Heine said. “I did the fundraising on my own.”

Heine raised $400 through Brett Loeb investments, Johnson Supply, Constellation Energy, Wendy’s of Cloquet, Dr. Ken Ripp and Jeneé Marie’s Antiques.

So when Saturday rolls around, so will Heine – beginning in Proctor.

“I go from Proctor to Hinckley, where we’ll spend the night,” he said. “From there we go to White Bear Lake High School and we catch a bus back.”

“There are stops for eating along the way too,” he said. “It’s a very laid back tour.”

However, Heine – who took part in cross country, track, tennis, the spring play and the Knowledge Bowl team – is making one other sacrifice to take part on Saturday.

He’s missing his ACT exam. But he doesn’t mind.

“You gotta do what you gotta do,” he said.

Editor’s note: Look for a first-person account of the ride from Heine in an upcoming issue of the Pine Journal.

Tags: carlton county, sports, cloquet