This is an extra special post that although is painful to write is way more deserving than probably that of any other previous post leading up to this apex of a day for both myself and my family.

First and foremost, I would like to salute all those men and women who have sacrificed their lives to protect our liberty and freedom.  And say, thank you to the ones who are no longer with us and the ones who are still actively fighting.  Your service will never be forgotten.

It’s been said, that one can never truly understand the complexity and sorrow of losing a loved one while serving a deployment until it happens personally, and unfortunately, I can now say, that’s a pretty accurate and honest statement.

On March 11^th, 2013 my entire world came to a standstill when I received notification late that evening that my brother, Captain Andrew Pedersen-Keel was killed while serving his deployment in Afghanistan.  It’s a scenario that I replay over and over in my head and wonder, what, if anything I could have done differently.  It’s a scenario that you never fully think about but carry in the back of your head every single day that your loved one is deployed.

Gables Bike Tours start their Spring Pedals series with a Bike & BBQ event!

Bike and BBQ – Sunday, March 17

Work up an appetite on this group ride from the Museum to Matheson Hammock Park, a 1930s New Deal development that remains as Coral Gables’ largest public park. Enjoy the historic coral rock buildings, nature trails and picnic pavilions where we will reward ourselves with delicious grilled hotdogs and burgers. BBQ is included with tour price. This is an official event of Bike305, a county-wide program to promote cycling using the county bikeways.

All tours start at 11am at the Coral Gables Museum. 285 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, FL 33134. $10 per person; $5 for Museum members. Space is limited. Please RSVP to 305.603.8067.

Gables Bike Tours are co-presented by Coral Gables Museum and Bike Walk Coral Gables. Bike rentals are available at No Boundaries, conveniently located across the street from the Coral Gables Museum, located at the corner of Aragon and Salzedo in downtown Coral Gables.

Join us at Earth n Us Farms on March 16th for a gourmet 5-course locally-sourced, organic, vegan dinner with a Haitian cuisine influence prepared by chef, Keith Kalmanowicz, founder of Love and Vegetables. A farm tour, led by Founder Ray Chaser, will start at 5pm, followed by dinner at 6pm. Wine, beer, and alcohol are not included, but guests are welcome to bring their own.

This month’s dinner will help raise funds to support Youth L.E.A.D.’s (YL) youth and food justice programming. YL is a young, local nonprofit that empowers youth to increase access to healthy foods and green spaces in their communities through afterschool programming, paid youth apprenticeships at gardens and markets, youth-run community outreach and research, and healthy food demonstrations. YL has worked in Liberty City, Overtown, and Opa Locka, but now the organization is partnering with Earth ‘n’ Us Farm to open its permanent youth center and offices, complete with an edible garden and youth-managed farmers’ market, on Earth ‘n’ Us Farm grounds. YL’s youth apprentices and youth peer educators will be present at the dinner along with YL Founder & C.E.O. to volunteer and answer questions guests may have about the program. Proceeds will be split between Earth ‘n’ Us Farms and YL. We have provided a ticket price range to fit your budget. Below are examples of how proceeds may be used by YL: