MARION - Retirement may have been on Larry Miller's mind when he recently moved to Lake of Egypt, but it definitely wasn't in his plans. Shortly after Miller and his wife, Karen, had settled in, he was approached by a local charity that needed help with fundraising, and he agreed to help.

A professional fundraiser for 46 years, Miller, 69, has worked with more than 400 organizations across 29 states and has no intention of slowing down. Currently, Miller is putting together a fundraising effort for Williamson County Family Crisis Center, a homeless shelter in Herrin.

"When we moved here, we wanted to do two things," Miller said. "To continue working and to move closer to family in a place where we could retire when that time comes."

Miller's background in sports marketing has led him to a creative idea for his latest fundraising effort. Although he has organized hundreds of bike-a-thons, he is ready to try something different in the form of a stationary bike-a-thon.

"It's getting expensive to do bike rides," Miller said. "There's the cost of insurance. Also, the weather can affect a bike-a-thon. That's why I thought, 'Why not just use a stationary bike?'"

Miller's simple idea spawned a fundraising prototype he calls Cycle4Hope. His first Cycle4Hope event will be July 25 at the Illinois Centre Mall.

"Our plan and our hope is that this will become the first of a yearly event here," Illinois Centre Marketing Director Penny Strobel said. "We're holding it center court. We love the idea that the money is back into our home area. It's such a wonderful cause."

Miller hopes Cycle4Hope will be a springboard for other charities looking to raise funds in a struggling economy. Watching his father struggle to raise money for causes made an impact on him at a young age.

In college, Miller first began his involvement in fundraising. While majoring in journalism, he became involved in campus organizations, which sparked his interest in fundraising.

In 1963, fresh out of college, Miller's college friend asked for help with fundraising for a charity and Miller obliged. That fundraising campaign raised $100,000 for a classroom chapel facility for Southern Methodist College in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

"I started doing this right after college and never looked back," Miller said. "During my career, I've ended up doing television. I managed a radio station, published a newspaper. So, in fact, I have used my journalism skills, but I used them for fundraising instead of a secular company."

Miller serves as Director of Financial Guidance Services for Almighty Concepts, an advertising design firm catering to ministries nationwide. Through his affiliation with the company, he will be able to offer Cycle4Hope as a fundraising tool for other organizations.

Miller has a goal of $273,020 he's working toward for the Williamson County Family Crisis Center. Money raised will be used to increase shelter capacity and add transitional housing and affordable permanent housing.

Details

The first Cycle4Hope event will be held at the Illinois Centre Mall on July 25. Several more Cycle4Hope events are being planned for the Williamson County Family Crisis Center during the next year. To learn more about Cycle4Hope, visit www.cycle4hope.com. will be held at the Illinois Centre Mall on July 25. Several more Cycle4Hope events are being planned for the Williamson County Family Crisis Center during the next year. To learn more about Cycle4Hope, visit www.cycle4hope.com.