Curt's Ride To Cure Cancer - 2011

[dlavery]

Friends and compatriots –

I am writing to ask for your support for a very special cause. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. (behind only heart disease), and it strikes children and adults with equal ferocity. Virtually everyone I know has been touched directly or indirectly by this disease. Even within the community of FIRST teams and participants, almost all of us have been personally impacted by this disease in some manner.

Just 25 days from now we will be starting the 2011 edition of Curt's Ride to Cure Cancer – a 620-mile bicycle ride along the length of the Florida coast to honor and raise awareness for all those that have been affected by cancer, and raise funds for the American Cancer Society. This year we will depart from Amelia Island on the Georgia-Florida border on October 1. If all goes well (barring wild tortoises, powder-blue pickup trucks, and random flat tires), eight days later we will pedal up to the "Southernmost point" marker in Key West.

On behalf of those affected by this disease, we am asking for your help and support for "Curt's Ride." You can do this in any of several ways:

- Join the "Curt's Ride" team. Become one of the riders, and participate in the adventure! It would be great to have you ride along for a day - or for the whole thing! Pedal along with us and lend your moral support. Even better, consider becoming a Curt's Ride team member and helping with the fund-raising goals of our project. You can sign on to the Curt’s Ride team on the project web page at http://CurtsRide.com/. We already have a big increase this year in the number of riders that go for the entire 620-mile ride, and it would be great to add even more.

- Get the word out. Help the people you know learn about the project. The more people that know, the more that can join in. The more people that know, the more awareness we can raise about this issue. The more people that know, the more that will be able to help. Tell your friends, team members, family, cellmates, the person behind you in the grocery store check-out line, and the IT security officer that reads all your e-mail about Curt's Ride. Let everyone know, and see if they want to join in or lend their support.

There were many memorable elements of last year's Curt's Ride that reinforced the whole idea of the ride. One of those was the collection of photos, messages, and mementoes that we were asked to carry with us for the length of the ride. They were a wonderful way to honor those special cancer patients from your lives, and to also help explain why we were on this adventure. We will be glad to carry similar items again this year to help us raise awareness about this disease and tell the story of the impact of cancer on the lives of all of us.

- Contribute. One of the goals of Curt's Ride is to do what we can to help find a cure for cancer. The channel through which we have chosen to pursue that goal is financial support for the American Cancer Society. By contributing to ACS on behalf of Curt's Ride To Cure Cancer, you will help the ACS fulfill their mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service.

I have set a personal fundraising goal for our 2011 ride of a minimum of $6,200 ($10 per mile) and hope to go well beyond that. Any support that you are able to contribute will be most gratefully appreciated. If appropriate, I can take cash or a check made out to "American Cancer Society" (with "Curt’s Ride" noted in the notation block), which will be forwarded directly to the ACS. But the fastest and easiest way to contribute is online through my Curt's Ride participant page. Or, you can provide your support by sponsoring any of the other members of the Curt's Ride team - links to their participant pages can be found on the project web page at http://CurtsRide.com/.

All contributions to the ACS are tax-deductable (as are any costs you incur to participate in Curt’s Ride as a fund-raising team member). The Curt's Ride project page is a direct subsidiary of the American Cancer Society web presence, and your contribution will go straight to the ACS with no middlemen or intermediate organizations.

Additional information about the ride, including the route map, planned itinerary, and progress notes, will be posted on the "Facebook Curt's Ride To Cure Cancer page" for the project (you don’t have to be a member of Facebook to see the page, but you will have to join if you want to comment or participate in the discussions).

Thank you for your support and generosity.

-dave

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Why Is It Called "Curt's Ride"?

Curt Ewald was a friend and former classmate from Herndon High School (HHS '76). In the summer of 2010, Curt was diagnosed with Stage IV adenocarcinoma in the lungs. As Curt prepared for the journeys ahead, he displayed the most amazing outlook on life, was one of the most open and communicative of friends, and showed the most well-balanced understanding of what was before him, of anyone that you could ever know. In just a scant few weeks, Curt taught me more about acting with grace under pressure and the strength of solid character than I had learned in 50 years.

Curt lost his battle with adenocarcinoma last year just before the first iteration of this ride named in his honor, barely eight weeks after his initial diagnosis. In his memory, and that of all the other current and former HHS classmates, and all those everywhere that have been affected by this disease, Curt's Ride To Cure Cancer has been established as part of the "Team ACS" program.

For those that never met him, this American Cancer Society blog (A Message From Curt) describes in just a small way who Curt was. I would really urge you to read this blog post. Even now, he still teaches. This is why we are doing the ride.

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[rsisk]

Dave, you've done so much for us, it's the least we can do to give back a little. One nudge closer to your goal.

We are deeply grateful for your generosity and support of our efforts. Your gift makes a difference — it enables us to provide vital services to the community we serve. We count on you and people like you to ensure that we can continue providing these services.

Once again, thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
The American Cancer Society

[GaryVoshol]

Another mile.

This is a great cause.

[torihoelscher]

Cancer is such an unforgivable curse. I hope we find the cure soon so people like Curt can be with us. We will find the cure soon!

Krunching Cancer

[Akash Rastogi]

Spreading the word on facebook. My family has been hit hard by cancer as well, I guess we all have in a way.

Good luck to you, Dave.

[DonRotolo]

I don't know anyone who doesn't know someone who had/has cancer.

There's a lot of good causes out there, but to make Dave have to dodge alligators and other critters makes this one my favorite.

One of these years I will join him on his way. I mean, how hard could it be? All 620 miles are downhill, right?

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by rsisk

Dave, you've done so much for us, it's the least we can do to give back a little. One nudge closer to your goal.

Agreed.

Dear Mike,

We are deeply grateful for your generosity and support of our efforts. Your gift makes a difference — it enables us to provide vital services to the community we serve. We count on you and people like you to ensure that we can continue providing these services.

Once again, thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
The American Cancer Society

[Andy Baker]

I'm donating in memory of my father, Jim Baker.

Only one year before dad passed away, I was able to bring him out to the FIRST kickoff in 2004. He had a great time, and got to know some of the fabulous people within the FIRST community.

Thanks, Dave, for your effort and inspiration.

Andy

[jodytamibooth88]

my mom is fighting cancer now. at first when i was oblivious of her condition, i didn't understand these things yet. now i find it inspiring talking with someone who can relate.

[alphonsoferrell]

Originally Posted by DonRotolo

I don't know anyone who doesn't know someone who had/has cancer.

I know right? It could be friend, a coworker, a neighbor, and much worse, a close member of the family. For those who have, I hope they won't have to go through at the point when you have to spend the last days with them. Cancer is a traitor. Strikes you by the time it's already too late. It's just sad.

[Michael Hill]

I really want to donate, unfortunately I can't afford to right now. I just started a new job and don't get my first paycheck for almost 3 weeks. When is my last chance to donate for this ride?

[dlavery]

Originally Posted by DonRotolo

One of these years I will join him on his way. I mean, how hard could it be? All 620 miles are downhill, right?

Don, that is why we are riding from north to south - it is all downhill.

Actually, the real reason we are riding from north to south is that allows us to have Key West as the goal for the end of the ride. Holding Key West out as the ultimate "carrot at the end of the stick" pretty much guarantees that all the riders will make it the whole distance. Whereas, if we attempted to ride uphill from south to north, that would involve attempting to ride AWAY from Key West. The bunch of miscreants that I am riding with made it pretty clear that would be a non-starter.

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

I really want to donate, unfortunately I can't afford to right now. I just started a new job and don't get my first paycheck for almost 3 weeks. When is my last chance to donate for this ride?

Not a problem. As we did last year, we will be keeping the donor page open at least through the end of the ride (October 8), and probably for some time after.

In response to some of the other comments, yes, virtually everyone we know has been affected by cancer in some way. It is in honor of those that we are carrying the set of photos, messages, and mementoes to commemorate the friends, family members, and associates hit by this disease. If anyone would like to include such items in our collection this year, please just let us know and we will arrange to do so.

Note: we are willing to carry things like photographs, single-page messages, small artifacts, etc. The first guy that shows up and says "This entire 29-volume set of Funk and Wagnalls New World Encyclopedias was my dad's very very favorite - would you mind carrying them on your bike all the way to Key West?" will have to pay for any resultant hernia operations.

-dave

[Akash Rastogi]

Dropped in what I could for now, my family usually donates frequently to the ACS callers. Good luck Dave!

Dear Badal,
We are deeply grateful for your generosity and support of our efforts. Your gift makes a difference — it enables us to provide vital services to the community we serve. We count on you and people like you to ensure that we can continue providing these services.
Once again, thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
The American Cancer Society

And yes only my middle name is Akash.

[JaneYoung]

I'm donating in memory of my father, Howard Treadway. I am honored to be able to share the journey with Dave and the "Curt's Ride" team by donating and by wishing them Godspeed as they ride.

Originally Posted by dlavery

Additional information about the ride, including the route map, planned itinerary, and progress notes, will be posted on the "Facebook Curt's Ride To Cure Cancer page" for the project (you don’t have to be a member of Facebook to see the page, but you will have to join if you want to comment or participate in the discussions).

This is a great way to follow what is going on and to feel like you are a part of the experience. I "like" it!


Take photos, Dave!
Jane

[JaneYoung]

Enjoying Dave's notes and the photos of the journey.

Keep on keeping on, team!

Jane