"It’s our little dream that blew up," Nick Keller said.
For the past 31 days, Nick Keller has gotten up, sat down and started up his sled.
"Well a lot of people call me crazy," he said.
Crazy because it is his third winter in a row of breaking records; putting on more miles in fewer days than anyone else.
"I was known for years as the Mileage Man; then I got to be known as the Cancer Man," Keller said.
Two years ago, Keller hopped on his donated Yamaha sled to raise money and awareness for cancer.
It’s a disease that hits close to home for him and his family.
On his snowmobile, he carries photos of family members affected by cancer, to serve as inspiration.
But the funds raised go to others who need it most.
"There are people that have no one to turn to," Keller said.
This winter’s goal starting Jan. 15 was to travel more than 10,000 miles and to get the odometer up to 56,000; the first two digits, representing the age his mother Mary Jane was when the disease took her life.
"It’s at 55,000 miles and I’ll ride some more this afternoon to hit 56,000 by this weekend," he said.
Online, a GPS shows his journey of where he rides and where he stops.
"My daughter would comment that sometimes I sit too long in places and visit," Keller said.
He has met people along the way with stories not much different than his own.
"You cry a lot and you hear a lot of sad things, but everybody’s happy to talk to somebody," he said.
The journey this year is expected to end by Saturday, but he’s already planning for next year.
He’s intent on being that "crazy" man working for others; turning miles into money.
"You look at it that way, it’s a good feeling," he said.
For more information on the Keller Family Community Foundation visit www.snowballcancer.org.
