About Ride for Research
Three years ago, following Tom Turner’s death from cancer, his friends and family decided to honor his life by organizing an event that would help raise money for cancer research.
Tom loved many things, his family, his friends, his job and his motorcycle. Tom could spend hours just riding through the hills and valleys of the Missouri Ozarks. He rode with his son, his brothers, his friends and, of course, Merlyn Vandervort. He even rode alone. Except for time spent with his family, Tom was happiest when he was astride his bright purple Victory bike.
So when it came to organizing a cancer fundraiser in Tom’s memory nothing seemed more appropriate than holding the annual “Ride for Research.”
The first event was held in May 2007. At that time some 100 bikers, along with 55 passengers, and dozens of other supporters gathered at Peckers nightclub in Lake Ozark for sign up ceremonies and a gourmet breakfast. Later that morning that long line of bikers, lead by Vandervort, Tom’s son Jeff and his brother Todd took off on the long 125 mile ride through Camden, Miller and Morgan counties.
Later that evening the group gathered at the Horny Toad Entertainment Complex on Horseshoe Bend for a silent auction and hog roast. That first year the group presented Cathy Dixon of the American Cancer Society with a check for $9,400.
Following the same agenda in 2008, the Ride for Research brought that total up to $16,908.12. This year’s goal is to meet or exceed those first two years.
Tom was dedicated to finding a cure for cancer. The Turner family, ride organizers and his friends would like to continue that effort in his name.
Please join us on Saturday, May 15, 2010 for this year’s ride.
The Turner family would like to thank Camden on the Lake and Toad Cove for their support and to issue a special thank you to the many organizers and community that work so hard at each year’s event. A special THANK YOU to all the motorcyclists whose support and participation make the ride such a special time for everybody involved.
Tom's Story
In slacks, collared shirt, and tie, he was Tom Turner. That’s how a lot of people knew him. But away from work, he was Buster.
Most of the men in the Turner family have nicknames: Shorty, Noodle, Cable-Cousin Carl, Sasso... just to name a few. Those nicknames more accurately conjure images of those people than their birth names. So when you think of Tom, there’s one image, but when you think of Buster... things become a little more interesting.
There wasn’t a glaring difference between two: Both were straight-forward, brutally honest and a little cocky. But to truly know Tom, was to know Buster.
Tom was funny, but Buster was disturbingly hilarious. If humorous use of profanity were an art, Buster was Picasso. His recollection of any disgusting detail from daily life left his audience in side-cramping laughter and more often than not, a little offended.
His best stories were told and re-told and he offered them as if it was the first time the tale ever reached your ears. If you knew Buster long enough, you could tell the story right along with him word-for-word.
It didn’t matter.
Most of the stories were only partially true.
It didn’t matter.
You played along because it would be just as funny as the first time you heard it.
Anyone who knew Tom wasn’t surprised by his success as a publisher. But those who grew up knowing Buster had other predictions early on. His desire to have a good time left an academic legacy that was easily forgotten at Hickman High School in Columbia, Mo. So he joined the Navy, earning an honorable discharge in 1973. After that, he attended the University of Missouri on the G.I. Bill and earned a degree from Mizzou’s renowned School of Journalism in 1976.
Buster loved proving people wrong. So graduating with any degree, let alone a Journalism Degree from MU, did just that. He liked new challenges and when he took them on he did so full throttle. Taking on the task of turning around the struggling Lake Sun Leader in the early 1990’s was something many people would have avoided like a deer on a country road. Not Buster. He saw it as an opportunity to once again prove people wrong and seized it with vigor. Through his successes at the Lake Sun Leader, he built a mini-publishing empire which included: Vacation News, Lake Lifestyles, The News Focus. Boats, Homes, Real Estate, the Columbia (MO) Real Estate magazine and the Westside Star weekly among others.
Buster was a fierce competitor. He did not like to lose... ever. Not at work, not away from work. Whether it was rebuilding a newspaper or playing a round of golf, his laser-like focus was almost frightening. But he didn’t allow his desire to compete and win get in the way of enjoying what he was doing. Winning without the fun just wasn’t worth it to him.
During his life Buster became engrossed in countless hobbies. So much so that guessing what he’d take up next became a fun game amongst his wife Jan, family and friends. He played basketball and joined city leagues where, according to his accounts, he was a legend. (By the way, he had an absolutely deadly 15-foot jumper).
When Buster took up golf he played it almost constantly. New clubs, new balls, and golf magazines could be found in every room. Then he got hooked on chess, going so far as to reading books on Bobby Fischer and joining a chess club. When Buster returned from the club, it was always entertaining to hear him share stories of the gross social ineptitude the majority of his fellow chess players possessed.
Then it was on to pool. How far did this fling go? He bought a pool hall so he could play for free. ‘Nuff said.
Motorcycles became his final passion. Buster spent a lot of time and money buying motorcycles, accessories and questionable leather outfits. And in true Buster style, he didn’t just putter around local roads. Buster took long cross-country trips on his bike with friends, his son Jeff, and his brothers.
Buster stood up for what he believed in, which at first read sounds cliché. But for Buster, it was a way of life. It meant not backing down, regardless of what others might think of him.
But what many didn’t know about was the compassion he had for those close to him. His heart was viewed only through his actions. He didn’t publicly reveal the softer side of his personality, except maybe with his grandsons, Nick and Nathan. And he wasn’t one to brag about the nice deeds he did. He did them quietly, without notice or fanfare.
Buster was a man who loved life. Every bit of it. His family, his friends, his work, his hobbies, his stories. Only cancer, which claimed him in July of 2006 at the age of 57, could get in the way of that life.
Tom was a special man, but Buster... man, was he special.
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