Milwaukee has no shortage of people looking to Kickstart their dreams by soliciting donations to get their band in the studio, help fund a tour, or “promote and grow the Urban Redneck life.” While we’re not in love with people’s proclivity to be so readily reliant on others to make their dreams possible, sometimes things go wrong and an artist must rely on the kindness of strangers to help them out of a bind.
On August 7, Donivan Berube of West Bend band Blessed Feathers embarked on a bicycle trip out west, during which he almost exclusively camped. Those who followed the journey on Instagram were privy to some gorgeous photos of America’s wonders as well as inspirational messages from Berube. Sunday morning in Crescent City, California, the feel-good story took an unfortunate turn. Berube posted the following on Instagram today:
Dear Friends, I was sleeping in a church in Crescent City on Saturday, and had my bike and all my gear tucked safely away in their garage. Someone broke in overnight and stole absolutely everything: bike, panniers, all my clothes, helmet, tent, coats…Do you know what it feels like to be 3,000 miles from home and have your entire life ripped away from you? It is enough to make me want to give up trying to do anything with this life, to give up riding and give up dreaming. It’s like running the marathon of your lifetime, only to have your legs broken at the finish line. I spent the whole day on the street, talking with kids and shaking hands with the homeless, but with no luck finding anything. A kind and wonderful woman from Central California has offered to help me put a new bike together if I wish to continue. It’s hard to find the will to keep riding, but maybe getting back on the road will help. If you’d like to make a donation to help her, help me, put this dream back together, my PayPal address is donivanberube [at] gmail [dot] com, and I can give you a mailing address if you message me. My spirits are at rock bottom, but I know there are still good people in the world. See you out there…
So if you have a couple bucks to spare, throw a few Berube’s way. You’ll be rewarded with the knowledge that you helped someone fulfill their dream, and make it home safely.