About 906AT
GETTING KIDS OUTSIDE, GETTING FAMILIES RIDING
906 Adventure team, as well as the events Marji Gesick, Crusher, and Polar Roll, all help feed and grow the cycling community in Marquette County, and help spread the message of building resilient youth doing hard yet fun things. The organization has created a positive influence on many people, both locally and all over the country. They did it all with the belief that traditional sports were taking away kids’ ability to be involved in teams where they could participate and grow and challenge themselves and not have to ride a bench because they were not as advanced as some other kids. And in this day and age, especially post-Covid, this message and mission the 906 Adventure team has been on are getting kids back outside, getting their families out riding, and volunteering to help build the program from a tiny location in Marquette, Michigan to almost a dozen locations in several states and growing.
"Begin with the end in mind." Stephen Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
As I sit here reflecting on the past ten years, it’s a little overwhelming to think about putting it into words. So instead, this page will highlight the thoughts and comments of people in the 906AT community—what better way to learn about us than from the people we’re impacting?
But first, I opened this page with a quote from Stephen Covey, and for those who know me, it probably sounds ironic coming from someone who walks around with “There is no finish line” on his shirts, but there are a couple of things worth sharing. I didn’t know the first thing about starting a non-profit, and it didn’t faze me. I’ll tell you why. We know who we are. We know what we want to be. We know how we want to do it. We’ve been fearless about being different because that’s what we want to help others be. We always have the end in mind; you should too.
Nothing holds you back when you have the end in mind – not problems, obstacles, setbacks, or what others think or do; because you’re on a path working toward your future, everything else is a stepping stone that helps get you there, challenges included. You are unique, in fact, one of a kind. There will never be another you. No one else will walk your path. You’ll be tempted to look at what others do, where they go, or how they get there. Don’t be afraid. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you get there – getting there (finishing what you start) is what counts. People can help you, but no one knows your path better. Embrace doing hard things and trust yourself.
Take this with you to Polar Roll, Crusher, Marji, mentoring youth, home with family, and life.
Todd Poquette
Director of Adventure, 906 Adventure Team
THE IDEA IS TO UNDERSTAND THAT DOING “HARD THINGS” IS… WELL… HARD
Todd and the rest of the 906 Team do outstanding work with youngsters to get them off their “devices” and out into the great outdoors on bikes. They teach and instill valuable life lessons that will be helpful as these kids grow and head out into the World to build a life for themselves. They also organize three of the biggest, baddest races in the State: Marji Gesick, The Crusher, and Polar Roll, all three incredibly challenging, and ask participants to do their absolute best and learn from the experience, no matter the outcome. The idea is to understand that doing “hard things” is…well…hard, but the important message is that “failure” is a part of life and that how we face defeat helps define what type of person we are or can become.
REDEFINING LOCAL, LEADING BY EXAMPLE
When I discovered bicycling- particularly mountain biking- as an adult, it changed my life. The mental and physical health benefits and community connections were transformative. In 2019, no official youth cycling organizations were in the Lansing area. A group of us sought to change that. We contacted several youth cycling organizations from other regions for advice. The 906 Adventure Team responded and sent us all the details, from how they run the Adventure Bike Club program to how they train leaders and run their non-profit. Every question received a prompt response, and they developed solutions to some of the most challenging parts of getting started – leader training and risk management.
Board Members
Todd Poquette
Director of Adventure
906AT Staff
Ryan Brang
Chief Rad-Ministrator
Owner, NorthCountry Health DPC
James Reinhart
Pace Maker
Pediatric Cardiologist – Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan
Stacy Bolf
Pacer of Progress
Checker Transport
Julie Cunningham
Captain of Creative Solutions
Director of the CMU Center, Excellence in STEM Education
Matt Johnson
Arbitrator of Snack Time
Lundin Mining
Christian Verardi
Chief Cycle-ologist
Edward Jones-Financial Advisor
Jon Olstadt
R&D – Fields, Forests and Fun
Business Development Manager, PESI, Inc
Amy Maus
Pedaler of Positivity
Marquette County
Matt “Show me the Money” Beardsley
Treasurer
Staff
Todd Poquette
Director of Adventure
Marc Salm
Partner in Adventure
Leslie Phillips
Sustainability Partner
Staff Emeritus
We started 2024 excited to celebrate our ten-year anniversary, but life had other plans. On January 19, 2024, an automobile accident claimed the life of our Adventure Coordinator, Tara Gluski. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her family, friends, and everyone who knew her. When we lose someone we love, it’s normal to ask what we could have done. I did it for a couple days and decided I (we) must do something different. We must move forward and dedicate our energy not to what we could have done but to what we can do – honor Tara, and ensure her memory, and impact lives on.
Tara Gluski
Adventure Coordinator
Volunteer Staff
In addition to three staff members, our organization is powered by a nationwide army of advocates and volunteers. These folks, and many more, are helping us develop more resilient people and communities.
Julie Cunningham
Development Partner
Kelsy Kellermann
Volunteer Partner- Trilogy Events
Emily Mason
LakeShore Basecamp – Lead
Stacie Poquette
Registration & #Quitter Hotline
Trilogy Events
Bill Mason
LakeShore Basecamp – The “IT” Guy
Candice Blackstone-Larson
Special Events & Projects
Adventure Team Leads
Mary Feuerbach
DELTA COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Mickey Trottier
DELTA COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Jackie Halley
DICKINSON COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Sanj Peterson
DICKINSON COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Sharyn Moss
EAU CLAIRE COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Nathan McCorkle
EAU CLAIRE COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Vanea Gauthier
GOGEBIC COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Tom Bergman
GOGEBIC COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Gabe Berghuis
GRAND RAPIDS AREA ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Dan & Charlee Weatherwax
GRAND RAPIDS AREA ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Kelsy Kellermann
GREEN BAY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Matt Berg
GREEN BAY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Benjamin Garcia
IRON COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
James Koch
IRON COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Randi Serres Pueschner
LA CROSSE COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM CO-LEAD
Isaac Pischke
LA CROSSE COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM CO-LEAD
Teresa DeLisle
LANSING AREA ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Laurie DeYoung
LANSING AREA ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Todd Poquette
MARQUETTE COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Marc Salm
MARQUETTE COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Candice Blackstone-Larson
MARQUETTE COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Darren Bartle
MIDLAND COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Julie Cunningham
MIDLAND COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
Customer Disservice Team
You don’t get stronger doing easy stuff – that’s where the Customer Disservice Team comes in. Hundreds of hours a year are dedicated to ensuring you get what you paid for – more miles, hills, mud, pain, and personal growth.
Todd Poquette
Director of Pain
Paul Hytinen
906AT Event Logistics & Recon
Dave Whaley
906AT Event Logistics & Recon
Dave Cate
906AT Event Logistics & Recon