MOST Amazing mother/son team finally able to race
Michele Erding was so excited about this year’s MOST Amazing Race, she woke up in the middle of the night to sign up when registration opened on May 1.
“I set my alarm the night before for 11:55 p.m.,” she said, adding that she registered at 12:01 a.m., the very first minute that doing so was possible. “I had no idea how popular this race was, and I absolutely did not want to disappoint my son.”
Michele, 48, and her 22-year-old son, Tyler, have wanted to race together for at least five years. But vacations and work always got in the way.
Not this year. The mother/son duo is primed to compete in this year’s 10th anniversary event on July 25, presented by CenterPoint Energy.
Granted, they’d prefer a team name different than “Erdings Times Two.”
“That is all I could come up with at midnight,” Michele joked. “I didn’t realize at that time I would have to come up with a team name, so that is why our name of Erdings Times Two is not the most creative.”
Then again, team names don’t matter too much. Having fun is what matters. And Tyler knows he and his mother are in for an awful lot of it.
“It has always been my mom’s dream to be on the TV show and travel the world, but I think this opportunity will be just as great,” said Tyler, a psychology major at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. “This is for my mother. The (prize) money doesn’t matter – it’s the memories with my mom that will be forever in my heart and hers.”
Worthy cause
Although the $5,000 grand prize isn’t terribly important to Michele and Tyler, a different batch of money is – the funds they raise.
The MOST Amazing race raises thousands for Twin Cities Salvation Army food and shelter programs – nearly $550,000 since 2006. Already, Michele and Tyler have collected $675. Only five of the 100 teams currently registered have raised more, on the date of publishing.
“I have seen firsthand the outpouring of appreciation from people who struggle to find food,” said Michele, 48, who regularly serves hot meals to people experiencing homelessness. “There is a huge need for support. The MOST Amazing Race is a great local way to not only support The Salvation Army, but to have fun as well.”
As an added fundraising incentive, Degree of Honor insurance company has agreed to match every dollar donated to race teams in June, thereby doubling racers’ impact on Salvation Army food and housing programs. Learn more about the match.
Michele and Tyler want to raise at least $2,000. The 10 teams that raise the most amount of money above $2,000 get to skip the race’s qualifying event.
“I want to be in the 30 teams who actually get to run the entire race,” Michele said.
Whether or not she and her son achieve that goal, this much is true: “I know we will have a blast together,” Michele said.
Think you’ve got what it takes to compete in this year’s MOST Amazing Race? Grab a teammate and join the fun. Space is limited, so sign up now.