9,563 Miles, 30 Ballparks: Father and son bike for St. Jude in memory of Camilla

top image, left to right: Ethan Pesch, Scott Pesch, Doc Stull

Ethan Pesch’s knees were screaming as he struggled to keep up with his father, Scott Pesch, on the road south of Seattle. They were cycling from Seattle to Sacramento, California, in nine days, averaging about 100 miles a day. It was an ambitious first stretch of a grueling, zig zagging, cross-country ride. 

“The most I had ever ridden was 65 miles,” Ethan said. “My body was not prepared for this.”

Scott, an experienced cyclist, knew this challenge would come. 

They call their effort Bike2Ballparks — a six-month journey to all 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) stadiums across the United States and Canada to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. 

They ride in memory of Camilla, a St. Jude patient who died from leukemia in 2007 when she was 12 years old. She was the daughter of Scott’s favorite college professor. 

Scott convinced Ethan to rest in their sleeper RV, which was driven by friends. Ethan drastically reduced his time on the bike for a few days. When he returned, he was stronger. 

“For him to be there for me and coach me all the way through it, it brought me back to playing baseball growing up,” Ethan said.   

Scott knew there would be more challenges because he had done this bike ride before — all 9,563 miles of it.

In 1994, a few years after graduating college, Scott biked to every MLB ballpark with his college friends, just to prove they could. 

Growing up, Ethan heard the stories and wanted to do the ride, too, someday.

It wasn’t until Scott’s brother-in-law, Rigo Sanchez, died suddenly in 2025, devastating their family, that both men realized they shouldn’t wait.

“We realized you’ve got to start doing things that you’ve been planning to do,” Scott said.

Ethan had just graduated from college, and father and son decided: They would do the cross-country journey — together. To give their ride extra purpose, they made it a fundraiser for St. Jude. They visited St. Jude, where they learned about current research and spoke with families affected by cancer. 

“We knew when we walked into St. Jude that we were doing this for the right reason,” Scott said. “It was profound.”

Never forget a name

Scott still remembers his first day as a senior at Humboldt State University in 1989, when Doc Stull greeted each new student. 

“There are about 30 students that come in, and he’s at the front door introducing himself, getting our names. We all sit down, and he’s already memorized everybody’s name: Scott, John, Sally...”

That small detail said everything to Scott about how Doc treated students as if they mattered. Doc encouraged each student to travel and seek adventure. 

“You have those people in your life — either a teacher, a professor or a coach — who stand out in your mind because that person changed some things within you,” Scott said. “For me, he was that guy.”

Scott’s first ride took place in 1994 — the same year the Stull family welcomed their daughter, Camilla. 

Scott and his favorite professor stayed in touch intermittently throughout the years as life moved forward for both men. Scott got married and had three young children of his own. He became a successful real estate agent.

Then one day in 2007, Scott learned that Doc’s daughter, Camilla, had died from leukemia.

“I just bawled my eyes out,” Scott said. 

Scott learned more about the bright, creative girl who wrote poetry, played music and was a gifted actor.

Doc had never forgotten a student’s name, and Scott would never forget Camilla.

Remembering Camilla became a way of honoring his beloved professor. 

Hit it for St. Jude

Ethan and Scott were allowed into the stadium early for the Athletics game in Sacramento on April 5. They were delighted when A’s All-Star Brent Rooker came up and told them he’d heard of the bike ride and wanted to wish them well.

Ethan said, “You know, we’re doing this as a fundraiser for St. Jude — where you’re from.” 

Rooker had grown up in Germantown, Tennessee, near where St. Jude is located. 

Rooker smiled and said his family supported St. Jude.

Baseball is legendary for its stories of hitters slugging home runs for sick kids, and Scott said he felt a moment happening. 

“Hey Brent, do us a favor and hit a home run for us,” Scott said. “Hit it for St. Jude.”

Rooker laughed and let them know he’d do what he could.

Something sparked that night for Rooker, who responded with not one but two home runs, capping off the night with a dramatic, three-run walk-off blast.

Later when Scott checked their Bike2Ballparks fundraising webpage, he saw Rooker had donated to St. Jude with this note:

“It’s amazing what y’all are doing for the kids at St. Jude. Y’all are making a difference!”

Scott likes to think it was St. Jude that gave him his edge that night. 

Amazed and grateful

The request had come in a phone call, a bolt from the blue for Doc, who hadn’t spoken directly with Scott in years. 

Scott asked: Would it be OK to dedicate the ride to Camilla? 

Doc said yes, explaining that one of the last things Camilla told him had been, “Daddy, please don’t let people forget me.”

“I was floored. Humbled. Amazed. Grateful,” Doc said.

The bike ride has captured Doc’s imagination.

It’s like Homer’s Odyssey, the college professor said, or maybe more like Huck Finn or the stories of Jack London — this ride that Scott and Ethan have undertaken is one of the great American adventure stories. 

Doc, too, has traveled the U.S., finding the heart of everyday people in its highways and byways. 

As a tradition for his students, each year, he would sing them “Route 66,” encouraging them to be adventurous.

No matter where he goes in this world, Doc said, Camilla travels with him now. 

Camilla was a wonder, Doc said, fearless and loquacious with a storyteller’s spirit. She wrote poetry with such depth that grownups would remark on it.

She loved watching comedy with him, such as skits by Laurel and Hardy and the Naked Gun movies. Her own comic timing was superb. 

She shared a special bond of love and appreciation with her brother, John. At the heart of Camilla’s life was a deep love for all her family. 

Doc said Camilla would have loved Ethan’s posts on social media about their bike ride. The antics of the type A dad and the laid back, zen son would have made her laugh. She knew the pairing of opposites was comic gold. 

Doc said she loved the opportunities at St. Jude to continue learning and creating through the art and music classes offered there.

“The doctors were gentle and compassionate,” Doc said. “They took time with Camilla and took time with us, carefully explaining every step of the process.”

Two years after Camilla died, Doc spotted a Zuni bracelet in a gallery. It carried the design of a hummingbird inlaid in turquoise against a silver setting. 

Doc thought about how the hummingbird could appear magically on a blossoming flower, beat its wings, hover in mid-air, suck the sweet nectar of life and then be gone, in an instant. 

“These little birds fly literally thousands of miles in migration, 500 miles over the ocean non-stop and their tiny hearts can beat over 1,200 times a minute,” Stull said. 

In ancient Aztec lore, the hummingbird was imbued with the spirit of fallen warriors.

Doc purchased the hummingbird bracelet and wears it every day. 

“I think about Camilla almost every hour, and it has been nearly 20 years,” Doc said.

Keep riding, guys

Father and son kept going, carried forward by the kindness of people they met along the road and in the ballparks.

“The good stuff is the experience — meeting people and seeing these different geographical areas, and that’s what I’m trying to teach my son,” Scott said.

Everywhere they go, people show their generosity of spirit.

“It’s been the greatest experience just doing this with my dad,” Ethan said. “We get to see the games and everything, but at the end of the day, it’s who you’re with.”

A friend they met up with in San Diego pressed fresh avocados into their hands so they’d stay healthy. Other people they know have given them bags of grapefruits, tangerines and oranges.

On their fundraising page, messages came rolling in from baseball fans, expressing pride in their home teams with each St. Jude donation.

“Big fan of St. Jude and the Seattle Mariners. Keep riding, guys.” 
“Say hi to the MN Twins for me.” 
“See you at Fenway! Wicked awesome what you guys are doing.”

People they met in the ballparks posted to their page. Like someone from the Dodgers aircrew whom they’d met in the hot dog line — “Be safe out there on the epic journey.” 

Or the on-field security guard at the A’s game: “Great cause!” 

Or the Giants usher: “You are raising money for my favorite charity. Safe travels.”

Strangers shared fragments of lives:

“Childhood cancer has affected our family. We have a proud survivor! Bless you both...”

Someone congratulated them for doing the fundraiser as a father and son ride, adding, “You can never replace the time with your kids.”

Purpose keeps them going when their muscles hurt — knowing what their donations mean for St. Jude families. 

Doc donated to St. Jude through their fundraising page with this note:

“Forever thanks with love, courage, humor and faith to Scott, Ethan and all those involved in your journey on behalf of St. Jude.”

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 What’s Far Away

A poem by Camilla Stull

Look over and beyond, I see the face of me

Look around. Who knows what is beyond?

Not I

I see the wind moving, I see the wind blowing, 

I view a better space, I strain to see

To be moved by the wind, to be blown and struck

I want to be taken along, 

I want to see beyond