The Breast Cancer Ride isn’t just another charity event. No, the Breast Cancer Ride is fun, challenging, inspirational, and most of all helpful to a lot of good people in need.
The Breast Cancer Ride welcomed a new presenting sponsor in year two: The Hartford insurance company, so it is now known as The Hartford Breast Cancer Ride. The Ride is Minnesota’s first multi-day cycling event to benefit those affected by breast cancer. In fact, it is the only multi-day bike ride for breast cancer in the United States. Proceeds from The 2009 Breast Cancer Ride will be split between two benefiting organizations: Open Arms of Minnesota and Susan G. Komen for the Cure Minnesota Afilliate.
Nearly 200 people (including me) participated in the first Breast Cancer Ride on June 21-22, 2008. It was an amazing success. I want to thank everyone who helped me be one of the top fund-raisers for the event with their generous donations. The $1,800 all of you donated in support of my ride will pay for about 250 nutritious meals for women living with breast cancer in Minnesota, their families, and their care-givers. In all, the Ride raised nearly $200,000! That’s incredible for a first year event of this kind.
I am very proud of my wife, Kari, the Executive Director of the Ride. She did an awesome job, as did the entire crew and support staff of volunteers. And, of course, the riders! Through sheer stubbornness I rode every mile, even the optional 30-mile loop on Day one, bringing my two-day total to 148 miles. I’m really not sure how I did it, but every time I thought of quitting, I’d think of Kari’s mom, Jean or my friend Jen Anderson, or one of the five women on the Ride currently battling breast cancer, or the woman I met doing the ride despite two artificial knees. There was no chance I wasn’t doing every mile. And I can’t wait for the next Ride.
The second annual Breast Cancer Ride will take place August 1-2, 2009.
Visit The Hartford Breast Cancer Ride wordpress blog.
