Frank Harms Support Fund

11/1/23 Update:

There are no words to describe how amazing the NJ mountain bike community is in supporting each other. Frank and Cindy are blown away by the generosity and love shown here. Within 24 hours of this campaign going public we have reached the minimum goal of $15k. This will help cover the insurance deductible for 2023/2024.

We have raised the goal, not wanting to come off as misleading or disingenuous. Covering the deductible is a blessing, but we know that every bit on top of this helps with the monthly financial burden such as medical insurance premiums and reliable transportation to cancer treatments. Our goal for this fundraiser is to help prevent Frank and Cindy from getting deep in a financial hole where they will need to sell their home or file for bankruptcy. Anything helps! Thank You!

Original Campaign:

Greetings Friends,

As you are likely aware, Frank Harms was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer in 2020 and has been battling the disease for over three years. JORBA did a fundraiser for Frank back in August of 2020 and the outpouring of financial support was beyond amazing. Frank and his wife Cindy were overwhelmed by the generosity from everyone and are tremendously grateful. It helped them cover medical expenses/deductibles and saved them from having to sell their home of 30+ years. Three years later, the medical expenses/deductibles haven’t stopped, and they find themselves once again in a dire circumstance. We helped save their house once, so let’s do it again! Please consider pitching in, any amount helps. We've set up this fundraiser to directly benefit Frank as a beneficiary, removing JORBA as the organizing org for max efficiency. 100% of proceeds will go directly to Cindy and Frank.

Thank You Again For Your Support!

If you aren’t sure who Frank Harms (aka “Wookie”) is, please continue reading. I have also included the information from the original fundraiser and a letter from Frank.

Who is Frank Harms?

The NJ Mountain Bike Community thrives thanks to the efforts of Frank Harms. He served as JORBA’s President for nearly a decade until his retirement in 2016, and was the Allaire Trail User’s Group (ATUG) Chapter Leader before and during his tenure as President. To this day he continues to mentor JORBA volunteers and leadership.

Wally Tunison, one of JORBA’s founders and arguably the earliest advocate for mountain biking in our state, mentored Frank beginning in the late 90’s. Wally saw back then what we all see now, a fiercely dedicated and capable person, who despite his wookie-like stature (Ask me sometime how that nickname came to be) possessed a larger than normal heart and unique ability to connect with folks. He is universally loved because he has given of himself so freely.

Frank was instrumental in forming ATUG, and in re-structuring JORBA into the organization it is today. He is responsible for a vast majority of the trails at Allaire, and in many other systems around NJ. He’s trained countless trail builders, mentored MTB advocates, hosted beginner’s rides and clinics for many years, lobbied our elected officials at the state and federal level, and so much more. Frank has worked tirelessly on behalf of our community for most of his adult life.

Information from first fundraiser (August 2020):

I am emailing today to inform you that our friend and former JORBA President, Frank Harms, has been diagnosed with cancer. He is still undergoing extensive tests to determine the origin and type, but it has shown itself in various locations through his body. He has lost a significant amount of weight and is feeling pretty under the weather, but his spirits are high. Cindy, Frank's wife, has been at his side throughout and is working tirelessly to support him. They are already feeling a financial burden, one which promises to get significantly worse. Huge deductibles, extra tests, second opinions, etc. There is already talk of selling their home to meet the challenge.

I am emailing you today with two requests:

Consider a donation to support Frank in his time of need. JORBA has set up a fund, and all proceeds will go directly to Frank.

If you have Frank's cell phone number, give him a call. Cindy shared this tidbit with me the other day: "by far, the most beneficial boost to his mental state is when you guys call him. I’ve watched him go from exhausted and depressed to animated and smiling as the result of a phone call. He so enjoys talking about biking and the good old days! So don’t ever worry about disturbing us or interrupting anything – your phone calls are seriously his best medicine! And he certainly won’t mind if you call during dinner – he probably wants to escape it anyway!"

Please join me in supporting Frank in one, or preferably both, of the methods listed above. He is one of the most selfless & caring individuals I have ever met, certainly for someone of his stature! I know he would never ask for help, but collectively we can ease the financial burden and lift his spirits so he and Cindy can concentrate on his physical fight.

We tried to share some of Frank's accomplishments on the support page, but it was nearly impossible to quantify just how special a person that Frank is, and how much he has done for mountain biking in our state. When we say that JORBA would not be where it is today we really mean it; he literally saved the organization and built the structure which has us thriving today.

Thank You For The Support!

A letter from Frank after the first fundraiser (November 2020):

Dear Friends,

Being diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer can bombard you with a lot of negative perspectives. Weeks of invasive testing, at a time when you barely have the strength to get out of bed. Medical bills piling up, and the realization that you’ll have to sell your house to pay them – which means packing and moving, a task that seems insurmountable when you’re feeling that weak and miserable. And then, the additional unforeseen expenses – switching to all organic foods because your liver is seriously compromised, new clothes because you’ve lost 60 pounds, nutritional supplements to fight the cancer, exercises that can be used while seated in your recliner, essential oils and diffusers to combat the lung cancer, etc. And then finding out that a disability check is substantially less than a paycheck and that your health insurance is somewhat less than optimal. (for example, my copay for a liver biopsy was $6,000.00 because Blue Cross determined that it could have been done without anesthesia – an option that I was not offered at the time of the test.)

You might think that I don’t have a lot to be grateful for – but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I am so grateful to all of you who contributed so generously to the fund that saved us financially. You can’t imagine the weight that was lifted when I realized that we didn’t have to immediately sell our house. I was completely bowled over – not just because of the enormity of the total, but because of the number of names on the list. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve such an amazing group of friends, or how I can ever adequately thank you all.

I am truly grateful for all of the moral support you give me. Some of you, sadly, have personal experiences with cancer, and I find your stories to be educational and inspirational. Others have given me a shoulder to cry on, encouragement to keep fighting, memories of better times, and amusing anecdotes, all of which greatly improve my mental state.

I am extremely grateful to all of you who take time out of your busy workday to message me during chemo. With Covid restrictions, a 5 hour chemo session can seem endless, and social media is my salvation.

I am immensely grateful to everyone who has come over for a visit, and hope you will come again. If you haven’t been here, please consider this an invitation. If you need a more formal request, please see the attached poster from my wife. She doesn’t allow me to go out, but is all in favor of controlled, socially distant home visitation!

I am ever so grateful for the vast improvement in my health. A few short months ago I was walking (slowly and shakily) with a cane, and using moist towelettes because I couldn’t stand up long enough to take a shower. This past week I have finally been able to get back on my bike – which brings us to ….

I am amazingly grateful for friends who are willing to ride with me, for short distances, at a snail’s pace, and with frequent rest stops.

I don’t know how to convey what it means to me to have such a remarkable support group. The love, prayers and encouragement are what’s getting me through this. I couldn’t do it without you and will be forever grateful. Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Frank