Walt Boone has been using his bike to deliver love for years.
It started during the pandemic.
When everyone was doing their best to social distance, Boone used that time to show people he loves that they weren’t alone.
It was a dark time for many, but Boone provided door dash of love.
“I would collect hugs,” said Boone, a former running back at Cardinal Dougherty before graduating in 1997 and going to University of Pittsburgh. “I’d drive around and hug people. First I’d go see my mom, give her a hug. Then my grandmom. Then my brother. And then a couple of friends.
“I would hug them and they could dump their problems. Life is stressful, if you don’t have good things in your life, time just flies by. We just have to look for fun. I watched Point Break the surfing movie. The guy in it says through surfing, you lose yourself and find yourself at the same time. That’s what it is for me.”
Boone will still hop on the bike to take a spin around town to tell everyone how much they mean to him, but he’s also using the bike to show love to others.
Boone recently took his game to the next level, once again participating in the 65-mile route from the foot of the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia to Atlantic City.
The annual Ben to the Shore Bike Tour is hosted by Families Behind the Badge Children’s Foundation, and raises money “for the families of fallen or critically injured first responders; to cultivate positive interactions and relationships between first responders and the communities they serve; and to provide mental and emotional wellbeing resources to first responders and their families.”
“It’s a climb, going up the bridge, you start off climbing,” said Boone, who lives in Manayunk and practices by riding around the hills of his neighborhood. “We do a little climbing, then hit the highway for a little before cutting through towns. It’s great, kids are cheering and rooting us along. They love when it comes through their town.
“I started doing it during COVID, and the more I ride, the more I love doing it. You chase miles. Surfers chase waves, I chase long rides. A few people did it before and they told me. I was like, ‘I wanna do it. I want to chase Philly to AC.’ (July 20) was my fifth year doing it.”
Along the way, he’s made some friends.
This year, for the second year in a row, the former football player and longtime high school referee was paired with Eagles legend Brandon Graham. The two former football stars hit it off famously. Speaking of famous, Boone felt like a celebrity after Graham posted a picture of the pair on his Instagram.
Boone immediately became an unofficial member of Gang Green.
“A lot of people love (Jason) Kelce, and he’s great, but when I first met Brandon, I told him that he was the guy who won the Super Bowl,” Boone said. “My friend is BG’s security, he breaks out fast, so he says ride with BG. Yesterday BG posted a pic of me and him on Instagram and I didn’t know it until today. BG posted me! I’m, like, ‘Oh Wow,’ because Brandon Graham, he’s so nice. He’s one of us. You’ll never know he has status, he asks tips (about long bicycle rides), it’s real cool.”
But not nearly as cool as what Boone did for his trip to the Atlantic City.
He didn’t go to gamble. He didn’t go to hit the buffet or anything like that. And while he was happy to raise money for first responders, that wasn’t even the highlight of the day.
The highlight of the day was finishing the ride.
Not his ride. Not the race, but John Stone’s ride.
Stone was a bike rider who lived in Upper Gwynedd. While riding his bike about six weeks before the Ben to the Shore Bike Tour, Stone was struck by a car. He didn’t survive.
“I heard his story and I knew he was a bike rider, but I didn’t know him at all,” Boone said. “I didn’t know him at all. I went on Facebook and got in touch with his family and asked them if they wanted me to finish his ride. He couldn’t do it, but I wanted to finish it for him.
“I reached out and we became friends. His dad was the one I spoke to, he was there at the finish line to greet me. I wanted to finish his ride. Moving forward, I’m going to honor him yearly through John Stone’s ride. It brought us together. In a world with so much hate, this just united people in love.
“His dad was right there at the finish line with me. And my family. This race means a lot to me, I do it every year, but it meant so much to finish that for him. I wanted his family to be there. This was his ride.”
Boone will continue putting the pedal to the metal and racking up the miles.
He credits his dad, mom, grandmom and brother for being his support system.
And he’ll continue to make them proud.
“Riding puts me in my happy place,” Boone said. “You’re going to have bad days, you’re going to be stressed out. You’ll have to deal with toxic people. But you can control you. Make you happy. Cycling does that for me.”
