Conversations with Robert Lear

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Lear

Hi Robert, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2012, my wife was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Her neurologist put her into an exercise program at Hoag Hospital immediately. She and I were still working so it wasn’t a very regular regimen. Also, because we were still in denial about her having Parkinson’s. Her symptoms were not noticeable, and she seemed not to have the disease.

I am a bicyclist and have ridden for many causes. In 2015, I went searching for a bike ride that would support Parkinson’s research. The closest one was in Santa Rosa in Northern California. My son and family lived in San Jose, and I called him up and said, ‘let’s ride this ride instead of the Waves to Wine ride for MS.’ So, we did. This was in January of 2016. The ride was in August. The ride was known as the Tour de Fox and was held at the Kendal Jackson Winery. It was to benefit The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. It was the second year of the ride. The CEO of Kendal Jackson Winery, Rick Tigner’s wife was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about the same time as my wife.

I thought I might be able to start a ride in Southern California and I asked Rick about how to go about it. He told me what to do, and I was overwhelmed with what it took to put a ride on. He is the largest employer in Santa Rosa, so he has access to many advantages that I do not. I didn’t think that I had ‘the horses’ to pull it off. But in December of 2017, my youngest daughter said, “Oh Dad! Just do it. If you get six riders it is six more than they had before.” That next June in 2018, the first ride was held.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been many struggles, but time has a way of ‘smoothing’ them out. I found a local bike shop to help me with the first ride. The first two years I was the chief cook, bottle washer, baby changer, etc. etc. I did everything from trying to find sponsors, food for the event, mapping out the routes and then putting the signs up, permitting, sending out personal e-mails to all the registrants and the list goes on and on. By the end of the second year, we had outgrown the bicycle shop, and we didn’t really know where to go to hold the event.

Kaiser Permanente in Irvine was a possibility. In Fall of 2019, we were ready to go full forward and then…COVID hit. We tried to ‘stay alive’ with Kaiser but they wouldn’t let us hold the event outdoors due to state and federal mandates. As much as that was a setback, it was also a godsend for us. It gave us a breather to become a 501 (c) 3 corporation and to get a lot of loose ends tightened up for 2021. We went virtual in spring of 2020 and still raised more money for Parkinson’s research than we had the previously.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I never thought that I would be part of fundraising team, let alone being in charge of it.

I was in sales and marketing for 23 years and then at 47 became a history teacher for 20 years. In both of those experiences I learned a lot about people. In business and academia, you find good bosses and bad bosses. And it is how leaders/bosses treat people that make or break an organization. I have made mistakes in this journey but I’m always quick to apologize and ask for forgiveness. To some, forgiveness is a weakness. To me, it is a strength. To realize that other people have good ideas and to use them, gives them recognition and validity. Bosses/leaders who think they have all the ‘right’ answers, usually do not. And whatever team they are leading, fails. Whether that is in sales or the classroom.

I am a ‘nuts and bolts’ kind of guy. The logistics of the event, I can do very well. But the big picture ideas, I fall short. I have people around me that excel in that and I am willing to listen to what they have to say. We all check our egos at the door and do this for the intrinsic value of helping people.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We are a group of volunteers that brings awareness to the Parkinson’s community in Southern California. In Orange County alone there are about 9,000 people with Parkinson’s. They say that if you don’t know somebody with Parkinsons, within the next year, you will. It is the fastest growing disease in the world. There has to be a cure, and The Michael J Fox Foundation is raising money that all goes to Parkinson’s research. Last year they found the bio marker that causes Parkinson’s, which has accelerated research and remedies for Parkinson’s patients. But the fight for a cure goes on. In the last seven years we have raised $800,000 for Parkinson’s research. 100% of all money raised goes directly to research. We do not keep a penny.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.socalride.net
• Instagram: SoCalrideforparkinsons
• Facebook: socalrideforparkinsons