Father and son riding 184 miles for Angelman Syndrome Foundation

Halethorpe, Md. (July 20, 2010) – Today Adventures For the Cure (AFC) announced a new fundraising campaign supporting the Angelman Syndrome Foundation, which provides research and support to fight this neuro-genetic disorder that occurs in 1 in 15,000 live births.

In 2008, AFC led a successful campaign for Luke's Bike. This summer, Luke and Stephen are using the bike to raise funds and awareness for Angelman Syndrome (AS). Luke along with his father Stephen Wright just completed the first leg of their 184-mile journey along the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal towpath.


Stephen Wright riding with son Luke on the bike's maiden voyage.

The following is a ride report from Stephen Wright after the completion of the first leg of their journey.

As many of you know, my son Luke and I are riding the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal towpath from Cumberland, West Virginia to Georgetown in northwest Washington, D.C., in three segments this summer, partly to raise funds and awareness of Angelman Syndrome. The guys at AFC have been great and have helped me set up a campaign on their website. Please inform any of your friends who may be looking for a tax-exempt donation for 2010.

The first segment, from Cumberland, W.V., to Hancock, Md., was completed Saturday July 17th and was a great success. Luke did very well, although I asked him to sit in his seat longer than I had hoped. My goal was to pedal at 15 mph, but that bike, with Luke on it weights over 75 lbs, and is tough to push. I managed 14-15 mph in segments, but mainly it was 12-13 mph for the ride. I was bonking for the last five or so, it was tough. The whole day, my beautiful wife was a perfect sag support. It was her idea to stop at Brewer's Alley in Frederick for a restorative burger and oatmeal stout!

One amazing stroke of luck was at the very end in Hancock. Luke was down and I was getting packed up for the drive home when the front tire started hissing. It just gave up after 60.5 miles, sitting in a parking lot. Although I had a spare and tools, of course, I thought the timing was pretty funny.

Our next leg will be from Hancock to Harper's Ferry, about 63 miles, on Saturday August 7, and the final leg will be Saturday August 28, where we'll sit around having a few pints after the ride. If any are interesting in riding part or all of these rides, let me know by emailing me directly [stephenwright41099 -@- yahoo.com] and I'll communicate the details to those interested. My wife will be in sag support again, but I'm afraid you will have to make all of your own arrangements for transport to and from. Our car can hold any food or water you'd like to have at pre-arranged pit stops. Thanks for considering!

To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit:
AFC Campaign for Angelman Syndrome Foundation
http://adventuresforthecure.com/campaigns/angelmanSyndrome.html

About the Angelman Syndrome Foundation
The Angelman Syndrome Foundation is a national organization of families, caregivers and medical professionals who care about those with Angelman Syndrome. Our mission is to advance the awareness and treatment of Angelman Syndrome through education and information, research, support and advocacy for individuals with Angelman Syndrome, their families, and other concerned parties. To learn more, visit http://www.angelman.org/. For a complete but brief introduction, go to http://www.angelman.org/about-us.

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. In addition to fighting diabetes, AFC was created to inspire everyone to use their gifts and talents to make positive change in the world around us. For more details, visit http://adventuresforthecure.com or on Facebook.

Permanent Link: http://blog.adventuresforthecure.com/2010/07/father-and-son-riding-184-miles-for.html

AFC raises more than $3,500 for disabled children

Washington, DC - Jan. 05, 2010 - This Christmas, Adventures for the Cure (AFC) once again joined forces with Kupenda for the Children.

As a part of our Christmas Campaign for Kupenda, AFC raised over $3,500 for children with disabilities in Kenya! During the holiday season, supporters of both organizations were encouraged to buy a gift (or a share of a gift) in a loved one's name for Kupenda. Gifts included physical therapy, emergency medical attention, classroom furniture, assistance equipment, corrective surgery, and student/teacher supplies. Due to your generosity and compassion in giving the most meaningful of gifts, the lives of children with disabilities will be dramatically changed in the new year! Thank you!

While this specific campaign is over, AFC continues to accept general donations for our numerous programs and donors may designate support children with disabilities via Kupenda.

About Kupenda for the Children
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 meets this mission through advocacy and sponsorship of school fees, child assistance and medical intervention, construction of special needs facilities, and the coordination of volunteer assistance. Kupenda serves children with disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, deafness, deformed or missing limbs, spina bifida, the effects of polio, visual impairment, Downs' syndrome, autism, epilepsy, and other physical and mental disabilities. To learn more, visit http://www.kupenda.org/.

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/.

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.

Adventures For The Cure captures 1st place at RAAM 2-man division

06.30.2009 – Annapolis, Md. – For most riders of the Race Across America, the 3,021-mile (4,861 km) transcontinental race is monitored by checking in at 53 time stations dotted across the country. For some riders, like Adam Driscoll, his 53rd time check didn’t come at the end in Annapolis, Md., but somewhere near Taos, N.M., where he was checking his blood sugar levels as a Type 1 diabetic between shift changes with teammate Patrick Blair.



The winning 2-man team of Adventures For The Cure riders and crew poise on the podium of Race Across America. From left to right: Crewmembers Dave O’Brien, Stacey Rohr, Greg Saylor, Ryan King (not pictured), Greg Fabella and Mike Caputi with riders Adam Driscoll and Patrick Blair. (Photo by David Harrity)

Despite this challenge and others, the Adventures For The Cure riders still captured first place in the 2-man team division at the 2009 Race Across America on Saturday. Adventures For The Cure (AFC) completed the 3,021 mile (4,861 km) trek from Oceanside, Calif., to Annapolis, Md., in 7 days, 1 hour and 38 minutes, bettering its nearest competitor, E-HUB Team, by more than 7 hours and averaging 17.82 mph, which was faster than half of the twelve 4-man teams.

The 27-year-old who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 12 said, “Competing in the 2-man [division] was extremely hard. Last year doing 4-man team, it was fun and had lots of time off the bike. This year only having two riders with a very aggressive rider schedule, it limited the amount of sleep time.” We averaged max about 3 hours of sleep per day. Pat really kept our team together that last night in the mountains as I started to fall asleep on the bike and was swerving all over the place. Pat did a huge extra shift so I could get some extra sleep.”

Competing in the Race Across America, which is dubbed as “The World’s Toughest Bike Race” is a test of human endurance, logistics and mental toughness. The team experienced one wrong-turn that may have cost them two hours, suffered five flat tires during the ride, rode through a knee injury, and incurred a 15-minute minor penalty all the while averaging less than 3 hours of sleep each day, consuming over 16,000 calories a day and drinking over 24 packets a day of CeraSport hydration drink to avert cramping; for Driscoll the drink also helps avert insulin spiking that happens with typical sports drinks.

Blair added, “There was no rest, you were always either: biking, eating, or getting ready to bike. We were always at the highest level of alertness with no down time.” Despite these issues, the support provided by the crew, friends and family was always there for the former roommates at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). The team took advantage of a variety of social networking technologies to collaborate with supporters, including providing updates via Twitter “tweets”, Facebook entries, Picasa photo galleries, its website blog, and perhaps the most entertaining technology used was its live streaming videos from a webcam mounted in the follow vehicle, which was described as nothing short of “addicting” and caused several of its fans to lose sleep just like the riders and crew.

Early in the race till about half way sleep was not an issue and the pair felt strong. Driscoll stated, “We felt amazing and had one time station where we hit close to 28 mph!”. Based on the RAAM website, it appears that only team that completed a faster split time between time stations was the record-setting 8-person Team Type 1, who is composed entirely of Type 1 diabetic riders. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic auto-immune disorder that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to properly control blood sugar levels. Adam is also a member of the Team Type 1 development team and captured that development team’s first victory at the Tour of Somerville’s Manville Madness criterium.


Blair, a Baltimore-area native, said, “Coming home to Annapolis was totally awesome! There were friends and family everywhere! When we were about 15miles out from Mt. Airy friends just started popping up all over the place to cheer us on to the finish! We got a huge second wind and picked up our pace due to all the excitement!”

Ultramarathon cycling is nothing new for this pair who competed in the 2008 RAAM as part of a 4-man team on single-speed, fixed gear bicycles; finishing in fourth place. In 2006, the pair completed a 6,500 mile journey across the United States that was chronicled in the award-winning documentary film, Adventures For The Cure: The Doc.

As a fundraising effort, AFC has a goal of raising at least $50,000 for its Extreme Weekend for Children with Diabetes camp and Kupenda for the Children. As part of its efforts, Princeton Sports donated the time trial and road bikes that AFC rode to victory and have been placed up for auction. During the ride, winning bids were placed on Blair’s 52-cm Cannondale Slice Hi-Mod 3 time-trial bike and Driscoll’s 58-cm Cannondale SIX Carbon 1 road bike; both valued at over $4,000 when sold as new. The other two bikes will soon be auctioned on eBay. Blair added, “All of the proceeds from these auctions go towards our fundraising goals.”

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 Information, Contact:
David Harrity, Media Director
Adventures For The Cure
media.adventuresforthecure@gmail.com
Phone: 410.980.1881





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