Dawson,

Hope you are well and plans for this year’s Jerry Zucker Ride for Hope are on track. I want to give you a summary of how we spent the $9,000 given to Lutheran Hospice from last year’s ride.

We used those funds to provide care for six cancer patients and their family members. The funds were spent to pay an insurance deductible for a patient with very limited assets and income, to cover the basic cost of care for a patient who did not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid or have insurance, to provide a sitter to give relief to a patient caregiver who was totally exhausted, and to meet the basic needs of three patients who needed assistance with utilities, rent and food. We are so grateful the funds provided by the ride enabled us to make a difference in the lives of these six patients and their family members.

We are currently making plans for our participation in this year’s ride on October 14. Melanie Gregg, who works for the Foundation, and Melanie Glaize, who is a nurse at Lutheran Hospice, plan to join Tom Brown and Tomas Mendez, who rode last year. All four are now seeking sponsors.

Please know how grateful we are for the funds the Jerry Zucker Ride for Hope has provided Lutheran Hospice through the years to assist in serving cancer patients. We look forward to participating again this year.

Bob
Robert G. Coon, President & CEO
Lutheran Homes of South Carolina Foundation, Inc.

What sort of leader are you?

Don’t just send a check; come lead your team on the Jerry Zucker Ride for Hope!!!
Ride the Ride, lead your team!!!

We will have special prizes for local CEO’s that do the Ride on Sunday, October 30, 2011 8:00AM

CLICK HERE for the CEO Challenge brochure

(PDF opens in New window)

Here is some information about Craig:

Craig is young and is a great climbing talent. He was US National road and criterium champion in 2006 and had a successful season in 2007 winning the overall at Tour de l’Avenir and placing 6th at the Tour of Ireland. He has a positive attitude and shows great promise as a young American rider with an excellent commitment to the team and strong time trial potential.

“What I love most about riding is the freedom,” Craig says, “When I was a kid it was a way from me to get out of the house, and today it is still the same. When I am on the bike I am completely relaxed and am only thinking about one thing, getting better”

In November 2009, Craig and HTC-Highroad team-mates Ina-Yoko Teutenberg and Evelyn Stevens travelled to Peru as ambassadors for Right To Play, the team’s long-standing charitable partner. “It was an amazing experience and a real eye-opener,” Craig remembers. “We visited really poor communities, with no running water, and it was really humbling to see how happy people could still make themselves happy without all of that, especially coming from a place like America. It was also great to see the difference a charity like Right To Play can make.”

The 2010 Giro d’Italia was Craig’s first major tour – but won’t be his last. While many young riders emerge from their first three-week race in a state of mild trauma and severe fatigue, Craig was pleasantly surprised to finish the race in good health and spirits. “I actually enjoyed it,” he says. “It taught me that I recover well and that, in future, I might be able to something in the general classification in those races.”

“I really believe Team High Road is the best team in the World and is the best team for a young rider like myself to develop. I love they philosophy that Bob and the rest of the staff have for the sport. I know in this atmosphere we will all feed off of each other and have great success as a whole.”

Sponsors Dinner for all Bronze Level Sponsors (Place to be decided)

No Early Packet Pick Up this Year!!

Sunday AM packet pick up only.

Sunday October 30th, 2010

RIDE DAY
NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION, PACKET PICK UP ONLY.

No early packet pick up this year, all packets can be picked up on the morning of the event 

Where: By the Shed at the Mt. Pleasant Track in Park West

Please turn in off Park West Blvd, at the Sunshine House

When: 6:30-7:45am, packet pick up

Start Times:

• 8:00 AM – 100k Ride
• 8:30 AM – 30 mile Ride
• 9:00 AM –  Kids/Family Ride

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Riders finish, lunch provided by Carraba’s

To all of the Ride Board Members and Benefactors,

I want to first start off by saying thank you for your support with this crazy 4000 Miles of Hope project. Without you words of encouragement and trust in what I am trying to accomplish, this whole thing would have fallen apart some time ago.

While I have a big goal of raising $100k, I have come to realize that while it would be nice to hit that mark, money isn’t everything. It is about going out there and using your heart, hands and feet to make change happen. Anyone can help by “stroking a check” but it’s the individuals that put in the labor that gets things accomplished. Everyone that receives this email is one of those people. I am very thankful that I can call many of you friends when 3 years back, I didn’t know any of you.

As many of you know, October sends me packing to Norfolk, VA where I will be stationed on the very old USS Enterprise aircraft carrier. I will be submitting my officer package once I arrive which will hopefully bring me back to the Lowcountry for another 2 years. My wife, Katy and son, Ayden will be staying here in Charleston to wait on the outcome of the officer package.

Between now and then though, it’s just me and the open road. The ride is symbolic of one’s fight with cancer in every way. I will be in strange territory the entire way as is the case for the person who hears the words for the first time- “you have cancer.” Am I prepared for the ride? Can you really be prepared to be diagnosed with cancer? My answer is yes and no. I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve ridden 100 miles in a day before but never back to back to back…. over the course of two months. I am prepared in the sense of my strong faith and know that even though I will be pedaling alone, I will not be out there by myself.

The mountains and cross-winds symbolize the struggles that a patient goes through during their fight. This is where you dig deep, focus on the inner belief that no matter what comes your way, no matter how hard the mountain is or how bad chemo tears you up, that you will reach the top and that once again, you are not fighting this battle alone.

Once you concur the mountains and hit the downhill and the winds begin to push you ahead, you can go forward knowing that you have won the battle and have accomplished the unthinkable. Even though you know there will be other mountains in the future, you can know that you are capable of beating anything.

I will be relying on strangers to help me along my way across the country and the fight with cancer is no different. Your doctors and specialists start off as strangers. You might have to travel across the country to get the care that you need. Soon, you realize that these strangers are there for you. There to save your life. You begin trust in them and then these strangers become your friends.

Make opportunities to change the world, don’t just let the opportunities come to you….

I am also sending this email to unite everyone in one big email for my return back to Charleston in mid-August. I have already spoken to a few of you that are very interested in doing something special for my return home. I have spoken with Dawson and we have decided that the best place to end at is the Isle of Palms County Park as there is plenty of space and is ideal for children as well.

I am going to turn the planning for this over to my wife, Katy. A couple of things though that might be cool….

I would love to have as many people as possible ride in with me the last 10-20 miles. Everyone has been touched by cancer and I want everyone involved with this project because it is for them and their loved ones. Possibly even the motorcycle veterans might want to lead us in. Camp Happy Days- I would love to have some of the children pedal in for the last quarter mile or so.

Alix, maybe you could drop a hint to your buddy down the road and see if he might sing a couple of tunes….(or shoot me his address and I’ll write him a letter!).

I am carrying pictures across the country of peoples loved ones that have fought cancer- please shoot me an email today or tomorrow with a picture and a little bio so that I can include them in my journey as well.

Thank you again for everything. Please send your prayers for me and my family. This is not only going to be hard on me, but extremely hard on them as well.

All my best and God Bless,

Jason

p.s. website is being updated tonight to focus on the ride and not the spin marathon…

George Hincapie’s twitter after the Ride for Hope

“Just don’t call us stragglers.  Two from our tiny group already won a life saving race.  They survived cancer, and 67 miles of bicycling was a record distance for both”.

“To those who made this event happen, we thank you.  More work are research are needed to beat cancer.  So take this as a call to others to challenge an ugly disease.  Dust off that bike, ride with us and support our efforts next year”.

Editorial in the Post and Courier from Wayne Palkovitz

“Pound for pound the most successful fund raiser in Charleston, SC”.

David Quick, columnist, founder of Get Out, the Post and Charleston

“To look over and see George Hincapie riding with us in the peloton, what a dream. Thanks for bringing him to Charleston to ride with us”.

John Glover, bicycle shop owner, Charleston Bicycle Company

Click Here to read more about this event.

Early Packet Pick Up

Bring your donations and pick up your packet.

Where: Charleston Bicycle Company

334-M East Bay Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 407-0482

When: 3-5:00pm, Saturday

What: Pick up your packet and bring your donations

Sunday October 25th, 2009

RIDE DAY

NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION, PACKET PICK UP ONLY.

Where:  Blackbaud Stadium, Daniel Island, SC

When: 6:30-7:45am, packet pick up

Start Times:

8:00 am 100k Plus Ride Start, 20mph+ group

8:05 am 100k Plus Ride Start, less than 20mph average group

8:10 am 50 mile Ride Start

8:15 am 30 mile Ride Start

Here is some background information on George:

George Hincapie is one of the most recognized riders in the world, with numerous world championships, national championships and professional victories to his credit. George is one of the team leaders for Team BMC this season, which should lead to some excellent opportunities in some of his favorite races.

George Hincapie has been hailed as “America’s premier classics rider” following his tremendous second-place finish at Paris-Roubaix in 2005, the highest ever placing for an American rider. An unfortunate equipment failure dashed a promising attempt at Roubaix in 2006, and he missed the 2007 edition with a broken wrist from an early season crash in California.

He is also the only American to win the Ghent-Wevelgem and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne classics. A fifteen-time Tour de France veteran, George Hincapie is the only teammate to have played a pivotal role in all seven Lance Armstrong victories. Lance and George are the only riders in the history of the sport to win the Tour de France seven times! He’s also the only supporting rider to ever be on a Tour winning team eight times. As one of the most experienced and talented riders on his team, George will play a key role in helping his promising young teammates achieve their potential this season.

Becoming one of the country’s best cyclists didn’t happen overnight. George had an outstanding career as a junior before taking it to the pros domestically and abroad. As a junior, George won 16 medals, 10 junior national titles and two world medals. He was a member of the 1989 U.S. Junior National Team and two-time winner of the Mary Cappy Award, given annually to the outstanding cyclist at U.S. Junior Nationals (1990-91).

George graduated from Farmingdale High School in New York in 1991. His hobbies include tennis, basketball, mountain biking, music and motorcycling.

Born: June 29, 1973 in Queens, NY
Residence: Greenville, SC
European Residence: Gerona, Spain
Team: BMC
Turned Pro: 1994
Height: 6′ 3″ Weight: 165 lbs.

National Professional Road Champion: 1998, 2006, 2009
Tour de France: 1996-2010
Olympics: 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008
World Road Cycling Championships: 1993, 1998
Junior World Road Cycling Championships: 1990
National Road Team Time Trial Cycling Champion: 1992
Junior National Road Cycling champion: 1989 (team time trial)
Junior National Track Cycling champion: 1988-89 (omnium), 1991 (individual pursuit, team pursuit)
U.S. National Team: 1991-93, 1998-99

For more information about George Hincappie, visit www.georgehincapie.com