The Ride to Success!
If the Ride to Defeat Diabetes’ mission was to provide bike riders with an entertaining and educational exercise, then it was mission accomplished on Sunday, Oct. 5.
More than 300 cyclists turned out that morning to participate in the ride, which was created three years ago to raise awareness about the disease and to support the NorthBay Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology’s efforts to defeat it. That is almost double the number of riders who took part last year, according to Ken McCollum, vice president, Human Resources, and ride organizer. “I’m really happy with the turnout and the results. It was a fun event and you could definitely see that in people’s faces,” he said.
Three waves of riders were sent on their way to 60-, 25- and 10-mile routes by a cheering and cow bell-waving group of volunteers. Upon their return, they were greeted by lively music and volunteers serving up a tasty lunch and ice-cold beverages.
People came from all over to show their support for defeating diabetes, including one couple who brought their tandem bike to ride in honor of their 4-year-old granddaughter who has Type 1 diabetes. Paul and Rebecca Sassenrath of Granite Bay saw an announcement about the ride on the Internet and decided to take on the 25-mile portion to show support for their granddaughter, who reportedly is handling her disease like a champ. “We liked learning that the funds raised will stay local,” Rebecca noted.
Vacaville resident Michelle Walker saw a flier for the ride and went to the website to learn more about it. “I was stunned to read the statistics about how many Solano County residents have diabetes. Since I always ride my bike on Sunday mornings, I thought why not support a good cause? And, you get a lot of perks for your $25, including a T-shirt and lunch,” she added.
“We hoped to increase awareness of diabetes and clearly we are getting the message across,” noted Deborah Murray, M.D., medical director of the NorthBay Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, who joined many families on the 10-mile ride. “People are having fun and I love being a part of it.”
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