Rob Paddor Cycles for America's Troops

About this sponsorship: Patch has teamed up with Grape-Nuts cereal on this "What’s Your Mountain” campaign to find inspirational stories in our towns and celebrate folks who have affected positive change in their lives and communities.

A life without goals is like a journey without a destination.

Like many Americans, Rob Paddor can recall exactly what he was doing and where he was going on Sept. 11, 2001.

As the owner of Evanston Subaru of Skokie, Paddor was driving to an auction to purchase several vehicles for his dealership. It was about 8:30 a.m., when he received a phone call from his wife informing him of the tragic event that took place at the Twin Towers.

"By the time I got to the auction it was dead silent. You could hear a pin drop," Paddor said. "Usually when you're at an auction, there's a lot of rumbling and noise, but everyone was tuned into the TV."

Paddor took the tragedy to heart and became involved with the military shortly afterward. He's now serving on the board of directors for the United Service Organization (USO), which provides support to personnel in the armed forces. Two years ago, his dealership netted more than $20,000 in donations for service members.

So, what was Paddor’s mountain?

On Sept. 10, 2012, Paddor participated with "Ride 2 Recovery."  The 300-plus mile bicycle ride – also known as the Minuteman Challenge - goes from Boston and concludes in New York City at the World Trade Center Memorial with a final ceremony at West Point Academy.  

The "Minuteman Challenge" runs from Sept. 10 thru Sept. 15th 2012.

In March of last year, Paddor completed a 400-plus mile fundraising bicycle ride to support our wounded and healing vets. Paddor’s daily blog from his ride is an easy and enlightening read about our wounded veterans working their way back into society after serving overseas. 

In January of this year, Paddor received the Skokie Chamber’s “Special Recognition” award for his consistent and ongoing community service.

“Rob participates and has ridden thousands of miles on his road bike to help wounded veterans with an organization called ‘Ride 2 Recovery’,” said Chamber President Howard Meyer. “His work on their behalf, earned Rob the honor to ride mountain bikes with former President George W. Bush in Texas.”

We’re looking for local residents to share their story and tell us “What’s your mountain?” If you or someone you know has an interesting story please reach out to George Slefo, Editor of Skokie Patch, at georges@patch.com.

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