About the Challenge
Legacies Alive’s 3rd Legacy Challenge was “Cycle to Celebrate” with challenger, Gold Star mother Kaye Jordan, biking from San Diego to One New York City as a 9/11 Remembrance Ride. After training and preparing for several months, she spent the summer biking across the country to raise awareness for families who have experienced the pain of losing their loved one in service to our country.
The goal of the challenge was to meet and connect with as many Gold Star Families as possible. The 4-month journey began on June 11th, 2017 and concluded at One World Trade Center, where the 9/11 Memorial resides.
Kaye was joined along the way by Michael Perich (whose son went missing September 28, 2008), Chris Ring (former Navy Seal and the challenger of our 2015 Swim for their Sacrifice Legacy Challenge), and other Gold Star families. During the challenge, she appreciated the opportunity for exchanging stories of fallen loved ones and reminding other Gold Star families they are not alone.
About Kaye
How did this idea come about? Kaye Jordan approached Legacies Alive’s co-founder, Mike Viti, as she felt deep in her soul she wanted to do something, something big. She felt it was time for a Gold Star family member to step up and take on a Legacy Challenge. Kaye wanted to make herself available because she knows first hand that life can become a lonely walk for a Gold Star family member. Since becoming a part of the Legacies Alive family, Kaye had felt connected, more passionate than ever to help, to keep moving forward.
Kaye knew she didn’t have all the answers on how to live with this unwanted title forever attached to her name, but accepting this Legacy Challenge was on her heart and there was no looking back! To Kaye, this journey was about our military and the ultimate sacrifices that have been made for us.
In 2010, just 96 days into his first deployment in Afghanistan, Kaye’s son, Austin Staggs, private first class in the Army, was killed by an Afghan soldier. Austin loved life and he loved making people laugh. Kaye shared with us that she still does not know how to completely deal with her loss. Her journey of healing since she lost Austin is a never ending one.
Kaye is committed to making sure that our children lost in war are never forgotten.
