Bike Night Being Hosted at Tanner’s Lakeside for 7-Year-Old Boy with AML
by James Coulter
Photos provided by family of Luke
A young Bartow lad is currently struggling for his life with a rare form of leukemia called Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). You can help him and his family by attending a bike night at Tanner’s Lakeside on Fri. Sep. 29 at 6 PM.
The Legion of St. Michael Polk Chapter and Tanner’s Lakeside are hosting a bike night fundraiser for the family of Luke Shaver, a local 7-year-old boy currently struggling with AML. The fundraiser will include food and drink specials, raffles, live music, and even a bikini bike wash.
Young Luke was diagnosed with AML earlier this month. His condition was so severe that leukemia cells were discovered in his spinal fluid, making treatment from chemotherapy more difficult, explained Cody McCain, a close friend of the family.
Eric “Stogie” Miner, the head of the Legion of St. Michael’s Polk County Chapter, knows how it feels to have a family member struggle with such a disease. He lost his own father to AML. Not wanting anyone else to suffer a similar loss, he and his organization decided to assist Luke and his family through their time of need.
*photo provided by Eric Miner*
“I met the Shaver family a couple of weeks ago. Listening to their story, it resonated deep within my heart because I lost my dad to AML,” he said. “Seeing the family, knowing their potential fate, that is why we get involved. We do what we do. And, being able to get involved with the cause, especially one that hits home…that meant a lot to me.”
Eric “Stogie Miner has been working in law enforcement and corrections for 20 years. Aside from Legion of St. Michael’s, he also serves in the Lake Wales Lodge #242, Fraternal Order of Police, Polk Chapter #46, a member of the Sons of the American Legion Post #72 in Mulberry, and the President of Chapter 34 of the Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency.
Working through so many local organizations to assist his community and beyond, his motto is: “Make a positive impact on someone today.”
For more information about the upcoming bike night fundraiser, as well as other opportunities to assist Luke and his family, visit the “Fight Like Luke” Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/820840626112959
Learn more about Eric “Stogie” Miner, his organization, and his upcoming fundraiser by listening to the latest episode of the “Chattin on the Ridge” podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chattinontheridge/episodes/Ep–12-Eric-Stogie-Miner-e29e40g/a-aac7gqt
