On a mission inspired by late cyclist

Mason Thill is on a mission. The college student is training for his third 103-mile bike ride from his Town of Fredonia home to Door County, this year picking up the mantel of the late Nick Grosenick and riding to raise money to benefit the Port Washington Fire Department.

Thill, who told the Police and Fire Commission Monday of his ride on July 2, said his goal is to raise $5,400 in pledges to purchase a cordless smoke ejector, a large battery-operated fan that firefighters would use to ventilate houses after fires.

Thill said he had always wanted to take on the ride from his house to his grandparents’ lake cabin, and two years ago took the plunge. He repeated the trip last year, then decided to dedicate his ride this year to Grosenick, who last year rode 115 miles from Sheboygan Falls to Peninsula State Park in Door County and raised $6,500 to buy four automatic external defibrillators for the fire department, after reading about his feat in Ozaukee Press.

Grosenick died in a bike accident months after his ride.

“After I saw what Nick did, I thought I could turn this into something,” Thill said.

He talked to one of Grosenick’s friends, who originally planned to ride with him, but that plan fell through, Thill said.

So he’s riding solo in the Nick Grosenick Memorial Bike Ride.

“I think it’s a great tribute,” Police and Fire Commission Chairman Rick Nelson said.

Thill — the grandson of longtime Port Fire Chief Marc Eernisse and his wife Grace — said he plans to make the event an annual ride benefitting various fire departments throughout the area.

When he decided to dedicate his ride to Grosenick, Thill said, he talked to Mike Didier, president of the Port Fire and EMS Association, for ideas on a project. Didier suggested the smoke ejector, a goal Fire Chief Mark Mitchell embraced.

The department has a gas-fueled fan, he said, but they tend to blow carbon monoxide into the house, and an electric one that’s bulky. The battery-operated fan Thill is working to buy is about a third of the size and has rechargeable batteries.

“We really appreciate Mason’s effort,” Mitchell said. “It’s a somewhat costly item. Budgets are tight, and it’s not a high priority through the city budget.”

“It’s a lot of money to raise,” Thill said, but noted he has some experience. As an Eagle Scout project, he built a $10,000 ice rink shelter in Fredonia

Thill, the son of Jennifer and Paul Thill, is now an adult leader with Boy Scout Troop 877. A junior at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, he’s working in maintenance at Hawthorne Hills this summer. 

Thill said he plans to leave his home at 5 a.m. and should be in Door County about 3:30 p.m. He will start off on the Ozaukee Interurban Trail and take bike trails and back roads throughout the ride.

“It sounds easy, 103 miles, but then it’s not,” Thill said.

The first time he did the ride, he said, “I had my phone in hand the whole time” to make sure he was headed on the right path. 

The key to the ride, he said, is to stay hydrated and keep your muscles loose and prevent cramps.

“It’s 90% physical and 10% mental, but your 10% is controlling the physical,” he said.

Members of the commission were quick to offer Thill pledges. So far, he said Monday night, he has raised about $1,000.

Anyone who wants to make a pledge may contact Thill at (414) 324-5436 or email him at masonthill11@gmail.com.