Speaking Engagement: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia

07.31.2009 - Columbia, MD - This Sunday, August 2, starting at 10:00 am, co-founders Adam Driscoll and Patrick Blair will be speaking at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia (UUCC). Newcomers and guests are more than welcome to attend.

At Sunday's service, you will hear from, and interact with, two “Gen-Y”-ers who will inspire us to step up your game. A UUCC service for all ages, but be sure to encourage the youths and young adults in your lives to join us for the morning!

Read more about our guests and one of their adventures in this article from The Baltimore Sun: “Grueling Ride for a Good Cause”, published on June 14.

Michael Adock will be playing piano.

Worship Associate: Julie Boughn

Location:
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia, http://www.uucolumbia.net/
Owen Brown Interfaith Center
7246 Cradlerock Way
Columbia, MD 21045

Driving Directions: http://www.uucolumbia.net/contact.html

What is the dress code?
Members wear everything from jeans and sneakers to traditional Sunday best.

Fall Dates Set for AFC's Extreme Weekend for Children with Diabetes Camp

Halethorpe, Md., July 28, 2009 – Enrollment is now open for the Fall 2009 edition of the Adventures For The Cure Extreme Weekend for Children with Diabetes 3-day camp to be held November 13–15 at the NorthBay Adventure Camp in North East, Maryland.

The Extreme Weekend is for ages 12 through 18 co-ed with type 1 diabetes and is set to offer a unique experience that will entertain, educate and engage the campers at the beautiful facilities of NorthBay Adventure Camp located along the Chesapeake Bay.

The camp’s director Ron DeNunzio stated, “Our mission is to provide children with diabetes the opportunity to maximize their ability to perform at their highest level in all areas of sports, fitness and life activities while maintaining intensive glucose control necessary for proper diabetes management. This diabetes camp is like no other as it’s geared towards proper diabetes management in the environment of sports and other extreme activities. Unlike most other camps, Extreme Weekend does allow ages 15-18 to be campers. This is a very critical age for teenagers with diabetes.”

The camp coincides with World Diabetes Day held annually each November 14. Introduced by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization in 1991, World Diabetes Day has been celebrated by diabetes representative organizations worldwide ever since. During this very special weekend, children will be shown anything is possible with diabetes as long as one has the right skills and knowledge. During the weekend adventure, children will be able to learn from skilled athletes with diabetes – ultramarathon cyclists, marathon runners, triathletes, and others who are actively involved in high activity levels and sports while maintaining intensive diabetes management. DeNunzio adds, “There are no other camps in the United States that offer all of this in such an informative format in such a beautiful setting.”



After attending her first Extreme Weekend, 16-year-old camper Kelsey McGill (pictured left) had this to say about the camp, “I wasn’t very good about checking [blood sugar levels] before attending camp but the nurses were extremely encouraging in helping me be proactive with my diabetes. Now I check probably three more times than before I attended camp and my sugar levels have improved significantly.”

With a staff of medical expertise, experienced coaches and athletes with diabetes, the goal is to enhance the lives of children with diabetes and to further educate them on critical team-building development skills. The adventure camp offers participants a fun and safe challenges such as rope courses, a climbing wall, nature trails and an environmental education center coupled with open group discussions. By leading through example and education, children are encouraged to get involved with sports after completing the camp. Participants will learn the valuable benefits of exercise and sports from individuals who are highly qualified and who are actively involved with the Diabetes Exercise Sports Association (DESA) and other diabetes organizations.

Location:
Extreme Weekend for Children with Diabetes camp is held at the NorthBay facility in Elk Neck State Park, North East, Maryland.

Ages:
Available for campers age 12-19 coed (must turn 12 by September 1, 2009).

Dates:
November 13 – 15, 2009.

Cost:
$180 ($160 for room and board, plus $20 non-refundable registration fee) per camper.

Scholarships:
Financial assistance is available based on need. For more information, please visit the http://www.adventuresforthecure.com/extremeweekend.html

About Adventures For The Cure
Adventures For The Cure (AFC), a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization and USA Cycling club which exists to raise awareness for diabetes, to show those diagnosed with diabetes and their families how leading a healthy and active lifestyle can move you beyond your perceived limits, and to raise funds for diabetes research. The organization also raises awareness and funds for other causes that the board of directors has selected. For more details, visit http://adventuresforthecure.com.

For more details, visit our website to view pictures from our previous weekend adventure: http://www.adventuresforthecure.com/extremeWeekend.html

For more information, contact:
Ron DeNunzio, Director – Extreme Weekend
rwdenunzio@msn.com or (717) 471-4636

Off Road Assault on Mt Michell race report!

Off Road Assault on Mt Michell!

Bill Blandford(profile) at Mt Michell

Race report from Bill:
Here's a couple links. My GPS and the ORAMM Site Course Page (scroll down for a good elevation profile)

Started with a road ride outta Old Fort, NC. Gearies in the front. SS's in the rear. For those who had ridden TMRs with me lately and remember how I couldn't shut up about rigging up a 1X3 on my Surly, you may be surprised that the night before the race I pulled the gears off and ran a 32X20. Gears??? What was I thinking.

Road start almost spread out the pack well enough for Kitsuma, the first single track switchback climb. Best SS strategy here was just to walk. Most switchbacks were bottlenecked by a group of walkers. Some were unridable anyway. I managed to clean 2 switchbacks in a row after passing a group of about 8 gearies. Peak 1 descent was very technical, lots of clipouts and crashers. I got the ass on the tire and rode it. So then just as hands start to get numb you're climbing again to Peak 2. Descent from Peak 2 is long rocky, rooty, sidehill, rhododendronny, switchbacks (basically perfect singletrack) and I realized that 35psi was too much for the front really fast. I got some big props from a couple guys who noticed I was riding rigid.

Some Serious Hills here!

Rest Stop 1 - filled 2 bottles with CeraSport(can be found here), let some air out of the front tire. Then my buddy Dave rolled in. We rode together out of rest stop 1. Next stop single track climb up to Star Gap all ridable. After Star Gap downhill was a 4 mile climb on grassy old fireroad. I passed dozens of gearies on that climb.

Bill poised on the downhill

Mile 27 to 36 was the crusher. Curtis Creek Road is a Pisgah Natl Forest fireroad lined with campsites. The last 4 miles are steep steep steep. My 32:20 had me passing dozens of gearies again. More than once my red polka dot AFC Jersey got me some "King of the Mountain" props;-) My strategy for this climb was that I had to get outta the saddle I'd only push it hard if the summit was in sight. Otherwise I'd dismount and walk as fast as I could. I think that two riders in their 22:34 littlest granny were a bit shocked when I strutted past pushing the Surly.

Rest Stop 3 at mile 36. Then a 4 mile fireroad downhill, then a 5 mile fireroad climb (but not as bad a the steep Curtis Creek). Then about 2 miles of climbing on the paved Blueridge Parkway. Here's where it starts to get Crazy. Left turn into dense woods by a little brown sign that says Heartbreak. 400 yards or so of hike a bike up a step rooty, licheny rock washed out trail. Then down-down-down for 50 minutes. About a dozen guys passed me cause I had to take it a little easier on the rigid fork. Hands felt like lobster claws from hanging on and holding brakes. More and more and more perfect technical single track. And when it finally ended, guess what...

Back to Kitsuma again. It's like deja vu all over again. Befriended a gearie named Roger on the fireroad climb to Kitsuma trailhead. He shared some salt pills with me and kept me from cramping. And he was the only gearie that climbed in a gear that rivaled my SS. He motivated me to ride every section of switchback that I had to walk on the first time up this trail. Forgot that there were two peaks as I was bombing down thinking the race was over, bam, another climb...?? One more peak and then down down down again. Happy to clean the ass tucker sections even when I was running on fumes.

Got the road descent and realized I was going to be really close to 8 hours. But I couldn't big ring it in so I was forced to coast down watching the minutes tick 7:57, 7:58, 7:59, 8:00:-(

Finished with a big crowd of friends and family. Built a dam in the creek with Benson (7) and drank Highland Pale Ale (tasty local brew) while we waited for Dave to finish. Great timez!!!

Bill hanging out with family after race!

8 hours on a mountain and still smiling!

Adam and Tracy get Married July 12th!!

Adam and Tracy got married July 12th at Oregon Ridge Park with a beautiful outdoor wedding. For their honeymoon they went to Fenwick Island, DE for a very relaxing time at the beach (thanks Deb and Julie).

In picture from left to right Adam Driscoll, Patrick Blair, Alex Driscoll, and Mike Caputi

I DO!!

First dance as Mr and Mrs Driscoll

moving fast!

Beautiful sunset on our honeymoon! Bella our new puppy got to come on the trip too!

Spectacross Auctions Front Row Starts for a Cause

Spectacross Auctions Front Row Starts for a Cause

July 20, 2009 - Conshohocken, PA, USA: Bidding for front row two front-row starting spots at the New Jersey State Fair SpectaCross are is now open on eBay. All money raised from the auction benefits Adventures for the Cure and the Diabetes Charities it supports. Two fully-transferable front-row starting positions will be sold on E-Bay in an auction running through July 27. The winner of each auction may choose not only which class the front row starting position is used for, but also who gets to use it. Auction winners can use the front row spots themselves or give it to the racer of their choice as a gift.

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Adventures For The Cure Releases Over $10K In Donations

07.19.2009 - Halethorpe, Md. - Adventures For The Cure, the Baltimore-area charitable organization, last week released over $10,000 in supporter's donations to two nonprofit organizations: Kupenda for the Children and Blood:Water Mission.

Kupenda for the Children Donation = $9,000 (initial 2009 campaign)



Kupenda for the Children is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt Christian-based organization that exists to meet the needs of children, with disabilities. Ultimately the goal is that these children will feel that they are loved and accepted.


Kupenda for the Children received an initial $9,000 from donations from Adventures For The Cure and its donors in support of our winning efforts at the 2009 Race Across America (RAAM), where Adam Driscoll and Patrick Blair won the 2009 RAAM 2-man team division with the help of the crew, family, friends and supporters. Cynthia Bauer, Kupenda's founder and president, upon hearing the news said, "Thank you so much for all you have done for Kupenda. I always feel like I can never express my gratitude enough and don’t know where we’d be without you. Thank goodness we don’t have to know." Donations will go towards operating costs for the office/resouce center and staff, transport to the villages, and emergency medical care.


Since 2006, Adventures For The Cure has teamed with Kupenda for the Children to make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities as shown in this video (below).




To learn more about Kupenda for the Children, visit http://www.kupenda.org/ and become a fan of its new Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kupenda-for-the-children/103433398469.


Blood:Water Mission Donation = $1,245 (completed 2009 campaign)

The Swiming For Water campaign presented by Adventures For The Cure received $1,245 in donations through the Adventures For The Cure website. Greg Young participated in the 4.4-mile Great Cheseapeake Bay Swim as a fundraising campaign for Blood:Water Mission.

Blood:Water Mission is a nonprofit organization exists to promote clean blood and clean water efforts in Africa, tangibly reducing the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic while addressing the underlying issues of poverty, injustice and oppression. Blood:Water Mission is building clean water wells, supporting medical facilities, and focusing on community and worldview transformation, both here in America and in Africa.

To learn more about Blood:Water Mission, visit http://www.bloodwatermission.com/



About Adventures For The Cure
Adventures For The Cure (AFC), a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization and USA Cycling club which exists to raise awareness for diabetes, to show those diagnosed with diabetes and their families how leading a healthy and active lifestyle can move you beyond your perceived limits, and to raise funds for diabetes research. The organization also raises awareness and funds for other causes that the board of directors has selected. For more details, visit http://adventuresforthecure.com.



Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/adventuresforthecure

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/adventures4cure

Youth Swim Team Conducting Swim-A-Thon for Extreme Weekend Fundraiser

07.16.2009 - Columbia, Md. - The Phelps Luck Snappers swim team will be raising funds for the Extreme Weekend for Children with Diabetes Camp at this Saturday's Swim-a-thon at the Phelps Luck Pool.

The Snappers participate in the Columbia Neighborhood Swim League (CNSL), which consists of kids ranging in age from 6 through 15. Swim-a-thon is a annual fundraiser by the Phelps Luck Snappers in which participants earn money for a local charity by swimming lengths of the pool. On the evening of July 18th, these young athletes will be swimming laps in the pool and enjoying a sleepover at Phelps Luck!. Volunteers will track their progress. Sponsors will reward the swimmers for the total number of lengths of the pool completed (or with a flat pledge). There will be prizes for children with the most pledges.

Co-founder Patrick Blair stated, "We're excited and humbled to be selected as this year's charity recipient of the Swim-a-thon sponsored by Phelps Luck Swim Team." This year's charity fun event is coordinated by parents Deb Sharkey and Mike West. West added, "The kids are really excited about helping other kids. Many of the swimmers know about Adventures For The Cure through friends, family members and the news."

The AFC Extreme Weekend for Children with Diabetes Camps exist to provide children with diabetes the opportunity to maximize their ability to perform at their highest level in all areas of sports, fitness and life activities while maintaining intensive glucose control as this is necessary for proper diabetes management.

How you can help?
While the event is closed to the general public, Phelps Luck supporters, friends and family along with AFC supporters have been invited to sponsor kids (anonymously if they like). If you know the parents or members of the Snappers swim team, please contact them or visit the Snappers website at http://www.eteamz.com/PhelpsLuckSnappers/ for more information.

Driscoll and Blair Race Across America to Train for Cyclocross Magazine

Driscoll and Blair Race Across America to Train for Cyclocross Magazine’s Friday Night Sprints

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Post-Race Interview with KRMS Radio on Race Across America

The Show-Me State Suprise

07.06.2009 - Osage Beach, Mo. / Halethorpe, Md. - While completing the 2009 Race Across America, the Adventures For The Cure team received a fun suprise while riding near Osage Beach, Missouri located between Camdenton (Time Station 31) and Jefferson City (Time Station 32 and Missori's capital city).

Unbeknowst to the team, David Harrity along with about 30-50 viewers were watching online via the Ustream.TV based webcam live feed that supplied an audio and video stream as the riders and crew made the 3,021 mile journey. Harrity said, "I was watching the video and faintly heard the radio station's call sign announced so I thought this could be cool way to give a pick-me-up to the team. So, I opened up another webpage, searched online for the station and when I found it, I called the station and told them the story of Adventures For The Cure". The crew and riders continued on not knowing what was to come next. Harrity added, "Once I got through, I became more worried that they were going to turn down the volume or turn off the radio; but luckily it all worked out."




(Screen capture of Adam Driscoll while "Ride Like The Wind" is playing across Osage Beach, Missouri)


Click here for the original Ustream.TV feed that played during Race Across America and hear the crew's reactions to the radio dedication.

The Post-Race Interview

Afterwards, Rance Burger, who serves as KRMS News-Talk Radio's Sports Director, contacted Adventures For The Cure, to learn more about the organization and interviewed Adam Driscoll on June 30, which was later played back over the air and online at http://www.1150krms.com/.

Here is the audio file and text transcript of the KRMS News-Talk radio interview:
KRMS-Radio_and_Adventures_For_The_Cure_2009-RAAM.mp3

Adam Driscoll and Patrick Blair wanted to ride their bicycles across the nation in record time. The college friends from Maryland competed in the two-man division of Race Across America to raise money for children with diabetes.

Driscoll says he and Blair started their own non-profit group to raise money through running and cycling events.

"Let's try to do what we love to do, which is biking and running, to help other people. So we said, 'well, let's bike from our house in Baltimore to Ocean City, Maryland and back.' We did that in two days, it was 320 miles, and we ended up raising $8,000. We met so many incredible people, so many crazy things happened from it, so we said that each summer we want to try to do some adventure to help other people," Driscoll explained.

The Adventures for the Cure riders rode 6,500 miles in 2006 and made an award winning documentary of the journey. In 2008, a four man team rode the 3,000-mile Race Across America. This year, Driscoll and Blair won the two-man division.

For Adam Driscoll, the rides against diabetes are personal; Driscoll is a Type 1 diabetic and wears a blood sugar monitor on the bike.

"...which actually measures my sugar continuously, and then I have an insulin pump, so continuously I always have insulin in, and continuously I can always tell what my sugar is. The technology really helps out with that," Driscoll said.

Adventures for the Cure won several fans in Osage Beach as their support vehicle rolled through town blasting "Ride Like the Wind" by Christopher Cross on 93.5 Rocks. A friend called our station to request the song.

Driscoll was on the bike when listeners in Osage Beach on Highway 54 started honking and waving.

"I didn't know what was going on at first, and then they told me as soon as I stopped riding. I was like, 'Oh! Thats so cool!' because I'm like, 'why is everyone beeping at me?' they were all waving and friendly and stuff and I'm like, 'this is awesome,'" Driscoll laughed.

The motivational song from 1980 pushed Driscoll and Blair through the lake area and on to their home state of Maryland, and the finish line in first place.

Adventures for the Cure will also donate some of the money they raised in RAAM to a home for disabled children in Kenya.

Adventures For The Cure would like to again say thanks to Rance Burger, KRMS News-Talk Radio and the Viper Broadcast Group for allowing us to rock with them.