Friends Helping Friends

It started as a simple idea back in 2013 - a group of friends getting together to ride in honor of Dan McRay, the founder of McRay Crane & Rigging who died of cancer in 2006. But somewhere between the idea and the actual ride, everything changed. Our friend and coworker Danny Upshaw was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Knowing firsthand the hardship and heartache that this diagnosis brings, we felt we had to do something. So the ride grew into a benefit.

A shared joy is a doubled joy. A shared burden is a halved burden.

It was small; only a McRay Crane & Rigging company event. And it was successful and we were able to financially assist Danny and his family through a very difficult time. But more than just financial assistance, it was our way to show we cared; that we hurt with them and for them; it was in some small way our way to help share their burden.

It was never intended to be anything more than the initial ride and benefit, but soon we discovered there were others that needed our help. So Big Dan Rides Again Memorial Ride and Benefit became an annual event. The crane and rigging industry is a tight-knit community and word spread. Soon the event was being attended and supported by many people and companies working in the Crane and Rigging Industry. And as participation has grown, so too has the amount of money we have raised and the number of people we have helped.

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