A huge THANK YOU to all that donated on Kick Cancer's Butt Day! Your donations generate $3,239.67 in matching funds. It was fantastic! We are now at the halfway point of the Great Cycle Challenge. There is still a lot of time left to raise funds for help beat kid's cancer. So, please consider spreading the word and encouraging others to contribute to this wonderful cause.
The money we raise during the Great Cycle Challenge helps to fund the much needed research to combat childhood cancers. However, that research spans years. There is a way to provide IMMEDIATE help to kids fighting cancer and that is by donating platelets. Chemotherapy destroys the ability to produce platelets, so cancer patients must rely on others to provide them. Unfortunately, platelets only have a shelf life of five days. This means there is a constant and critical need for platelets. Below is a note I received from a distant relative when they learned I regularly donate platelets. Please consider donating platelets too.
Today is "Kick Cancer's Butt Day!" A generous group of donors will match up to $1,500,000 in donations received today.
I have set a big mileage goal for this year's Great Cycle Challenge. I have been training, but probably not hard enough. So, it is going to be physically tough for me to reach that goal. But, not as tough as what kids must endure to fight cancer. We need better treatments, So, I will push myself hard, in hopes it motivates others to make a donation.
The Great Cycle Challenge will send an "All-Star" jersey to riders that have cumulatively raised $10,000 or more for pediatric cancer research. However, we (the riders) are not the All-Stars. The donors supporting our riding are the ones that deserve this honor. FYI: If I reach my 2023 fundraising goal, my total over the nine years of riding will be not $10,000, but $100,000. All because of you. THANK YOU!
Callen is a huge fan of the Disney movie Cars. Lightning McQueen is his favorite character from the movie. (Check out his room décor in the picture.) On each of my rides, I am carrying a Lightning McQueen plush toy in my rear jersey pocket. Taking the the toy with me is my symbolic way of having Callen's spirit accompany me on each of my rides and reminds my why I am riding, which is for the kids, so that one day they will have the chance to ride a bike too.
I captain a GCC rider team. The team name has special meaning. Our riders are literally donating their BLOOD and pouring out their SWEAT (and hearts) as they pedal hundreds of miles in the Great Cycle Challenge. Why, because we hope someday our efforts will result in "no more TEARS" needing to shed.
Let's talk about BLOOD. Kids with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy have a huge need for blood, platelets and plasma. As the chemo and cancer plays havoc with their own bodies to produce what they need. Did you know that donated platelets, which are critical for blood clotting, only have a shelf life of 5 to 7 days. Their is a constant demand for platelets, and a no less important need for whole blood and plasma. So, our team riders each pledge to make one donation during the Great Cycle Challenge.
Now the SWEAT. The team's riders are working hard and pedaling far more than is comfortable. They are sweating as a sign of their commitment, in the hope it will motivate you to make a financial donation to support this cause. Afterall, the Great Cycle Challenge was created to raise funds to support the research needed to find better treatments for pediatric cancer.
And most importantly, no more TEARS. The whole purpose of this event is to find ways to help kids with cancer extend their lives, and hopeful have the full and rich ones that we as riders have had the good fortune to live ourselves. Our fundraising can help avoid the tears that come with a cancer diagnosis. With your support, that can be possible! So, please consider making a financial donation to a team member, and/or a donation of life giving blood, or joining our team and riding with us.
The picture on my GCC page shows me donating platelets. It is something that has now become a regular activity for me.
Callen's mom, Tori, is holding him as she expresses her thanks to those that have supported my riding in the Great Cycle Challenge. With her are her husband, Ryan, and two month old daughter, Cora (who was born 2.5 weeks early!) Can you imagine the stress of having a child who was undergoing treatments for cancer while pregnant and then having a newly born to care for!? Cancer impacts not just the child, but the entire family. We need to find a cure.
I had the names of last year's supporters printed on a custom jersey. I wear it often while riding. In this picture, I stopped by a sponsor, Kapler's Pharmacy, in Beach Haven, NJ, to thank them. The SandPaper, a publication focused on Long Beach Island, did an article on my riding in this year's event. Here is the link to the piece:
https://www.thesandpaper.net/articles/lbi-cyclist-takes-ninth-great-cycle-challenge/
(You will have to copy the link into your browser to see the article. This page doesn't open embed links.)
When I knew that I would be riding for Callen in this year's Great Cycle Challenge, I nominated him to be a GCC Ambassador. He was chosen!
INTRODUCING: The incredible Callen, our newest GCC ambassador! 🌟
Callen is a funny, energetic, and caring 2-year-old. He LOVES swimming and taking care of his 1-month-old baby sister.
In February, Callen spent his second birthday in the hospital. 🥺
It all started when Callen suddenly started having trouble breathing about a week before his birthday. After multiple trips to the ER, his family was given a devastating diagnosis…
Their little boy had acute myeloid leukemia (AML). 💔
Doctors also found that one of his lungs had filled halfway with fluid, so Callen was immediately hooked up to a chest tube to drain it away. 🏥
Since then, Callen has endured an intensive 4-round chemotherapy regimen. Thankfully, he has been in remission since his very first round of treatment. ✊
The future still feels uncertain, but Callen is doing really well, and his parents are so relieved that his ongoing treatments are working to keep his cancer away. 💙
Callen, you ROCK! We’re riding for you this September! 🚴♂️
