Preparing For The Best Buddies Ride!

This Saturday, June 4, will be my first intentional century ride. I did a ride to benefit Cycle Kids a week and a half ago that became a century when we got lost somewhere in the wilds of Sudbury. Anyway, a million thanks to PATRIOT PEDDLERS, who are very generously sponsoring my Best Buddies ride. Best Buddies matches intellectually disabled kids with friends and mentors; I work with a number of such kids and have seen how much they can suffer from the lack of social acceptance. It's a great program and I'm proud to do this ride. To prepare, I rode 180 miles over the holiday weekend and got a great bike tan. Now beginning my third season of charity riding, I reflected on things that would have horrified me three years ago that are now second nature. These include: using port-a-potties, blowing my nose on the bike, and asking strangers for money. Thanks so much for your support!

My Charity Rides

Click on links to the right to get to fundraising pages!

The Best Buddies Challenge (June 4, fundraising minimum $1,350): A 100-mile ride to benefit the Best Buddies Foundation, which provides friends and mentors to children and young adults with intellectual disabilities. A number of my students have intellectual disabilities, and I've seen how devastatingly socially isolating this can be.

Multiple Sclerosis (June 25 and 26, fundraising minimum $500): A two-day, 180-mile ride to benefit MS research.

Seacoast Safari (July 16 and 17, fundraising minimum $300): A two-day, 175-mile ride to benefit cystic fibrosis research. This will be my third year doing this ride; some of the recent medical advances are amazing and it's an honor to help to fund them.

Harbor to the Bay (sometime in September, fundraising minimum $500): An epic one-day, 125-mile ride to benefit four local AIDS foundations. This will be my third year doing this ride as well!

The Dempsey Challenge (sometime in October, fundraising minimum $150): A 100-mile ride (with TONS of climbing) to benefit cancer research.

Riding 1000 Miles For Charity

If I learned anything from 3 rounds of knee surgery, it's that I'm unbelievably lucky to be able to do what I can do. (Actually, I learned that after the first round; the rest was just pointless suffering.) Bobby Mac, who runs my group ride, says THE GREATEST SIN IS INDIFFERENCE, and the goal of riding 1,000 miles for charity has given meaning and purpose to rehab. Thank you for supporting me!