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the Mokena Messenger | November 2, 2017 | 3
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Tony Bronzell, Frankfort resident and owner of Domino’s Pizza in Mokena, poses with/rides
the bike he plans to use for a 2,400+ mile trip across the country to try and raise $100,000
for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. T.J. Kremer III/22nd Century Media
Pedaling a trip of a lifetime
DAVID J COBB
708.205.COBB(2622)
T.J. Kremer III, Editor
St. Augustine, Florida, to
San Diego, California: Most
people would take a plane
or drive. Not Tony Bronzell,
franchisee owner of
Domino’s Pizza in Mokena
and Frankfort resident. He’s
riding his bicycle through
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,
Texas, New Mexico,
Arizona and finally California.
According to Google
Maps, the trip is 2,461.4
miles via Interstate 90 West.
But this trip isn’t about
Bronzell: He’s making the
journey to raise money for
St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital and hopes to raise
$100,000.
“This is something I’ve
wanted to do for a long
time,” Bronzell said.
It all started when Bronzell
first became a manager
at Domino’s about 15 years
ago and saw the way the
company supported St. Jude,
and the cause quickly resonated
with him, too.
“A little kid, they haven’t
had a chance to — they’re
innocent — they haven’t had
a chance to experience life,
and when they lose something,
that stinks.
“I grew up without my
parents, and so knowing
what that’s like, and having
a kid alone — a kid who has
cancer, he’s alone, man —
and [St. Jude] allows a family
to stay with him all time;
they pay for everything, and
it’s like, ‘Wow, man.’”
Bronzell’s store raised
more than $10,000 last year
toward St. Jude and was invited
to the hospital. It was
during that time when the
bike across the country idea
occurred to him.
“Because we were the No.
1 store for raising money, we
were in St. Jude’s over the
summertime, brainstorming
ideas of how to do a better
job, and I just got to thinking
this might be a good way
to promote it. [The bike ride
is] an intense activity, it’s
not something that people
regularly do. After going to
the hospital and seeing what
they’re doing, I was like,
‘Man, I got to figure out a
way I want step it up a little
bit.’ It’s a combination of life
challenge/helping out a good
cause.”
Prior to training for his
trip, the farthest Bronzell
had travelled on a bike was
about 50 miles. Now he has
been training to travel about
65 miles per day during
his trek across the country,
which he hopes will be finished
by Christmastime so
he can be back with his wife
Jennifer and their three children:
Brody, 8; Haley, 6; and
Jack, 3.
Bonzell anticipates running
into bad weather and,
since his planned route takes
him through Florida and
Texas, he’s also planning to
run into flooded out bridges
and other obstacles related to
the recent hurricanes there.
“What I intend to do is,
now that I have my route
mapped, over the next couple
of days I’m going to find
out where some Domino’s
Pizza stores are and cycle
into them and visit and then
keep on my way.”
Bronzell will depend on
the kindness of strangers,
but he expects that he might
be invited to stay with locals,
or rent a hotel room once in
Please see dominos, 5
Veterans and Family Members of Veterans
VFW POST 725
WANTS YOU
ON VETERANS DAY,
NOVEMBER 11, 2017
THE ARMY M5 ANTI-TANK GUN RETURNS TO PIONEER
CEMETERY, WOLF RD. AND DENNY ST. IN MOKENA
10:00AM
The Refurbished Anti-Tank Gun Arrives
11:00AM
Veterans Day Ceremonies By VFW Post 725
Following the ceremony, veterans and
members of the community are invited
to the post for light refreshments
VETERANS
Tell the bartender
where you served
and your unit and the
FIRST DRINK
IS ON US
Post 725 Is Your Post – Your Membership Is Our Strength
WM. MARTIN VFW POST 725, 19852 WOLF ROAD MOKENA 708-479-5022
22-VFWPOST725-110217
Phone: 815.485.5500 • david@davidjcobb.com