hospice care. Lee’s goal was to raise $500,000 to divide among the three charities. To date, he has raised about $300,000.

But Lee’s presentation to the students wasn’t about fund-raising. It was about the power of following dreams. Since getting his first bike when he was a young kid, Lee said, one of his dreams was to ride his bicycle across the country.

“When you’re on a bicycle, you get to see so much and hear so much,” Lee told the students. “It’s a wonderful way to see the country.”

During the assembly, Lee showed the students at Rose just some of the more than 5,000 pictures he took while on his ride. Many of them elicited audible excitement from the young audience — particularly the pictures of wildlife, including deer, turtles and snakes.
“Part of my dream was to use photography as a way to show the beauty of the country,” he said.

Most of Lee’s talk focused on what he called the “six pillars of character,” which included traits like trustworthiness, fairness and responsibility. He used experiences from his trip to illustrate those character traits for the students, such as when he visited a store that had no cashier. Shoppers were asked to take their own correct change based on the honor system.

“I enjoyed meeting people that could trust people,” Lee told the kids. “Think good dreams, help other people, and you’ll find life is really wonderful.”

The assembly at Rose Elementary was not the first for Lee. He has given presentations Rotary clubs; community events; and even other schools, including Arnett C. Lines Elementary in Barrington. The presentation was put together as a way for students to share Lee’s experiences and to inspire others to follow their dreams.

“Not everyone is going to get the opportunity to do what I’ve done,” Lee said. “It’s a matter of sharing.”

The assembly was organized by the Rose Elementary PTO. Shefali Bhuva, one of the PTO’s program coordinators, said that she had seen Lee’s presentation before and felt it built on many of the traits the kids are taught through the school’s “Character Counts” program.
Plus, she said, “It’s important for the kids to be able to see what someone can do at any stage in their life.”

Principal Scott Carlson said that the opportunity to host assemblies like “Ride for a Reason” is a welcome one.

“We’re always looking for positive role models and people living lives of character to come out and talk to the kids,” Carlson said.

Lee hoped his talk — like his ride — would not just instill social responsibility, but also inspire the students even at a young age.

“It’s not just about charity, it’s not just about fund-raising,” he said. “It’s about finding goodness and significance in life.”

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