Join Chappaqua cyclists at third annual Bike-a-Thon for Lung Cancer Alliance
June 26, 2009
by Judy Ward
Scenic Dutchess County, New York, will be the scene of the third annual Chappaqua-based bike-a-thon to support the Lung Cancer Alliance. Participants in the bike-a-thon, to be held on Saturday, July 11, will ride either a 15 or 30 mile course through rolling farmland only one hour north of Chappaqua.
The bike-a-thon begins at 9:00 a.m. and culminates with lunch in the big barn at Meadowland Farm. The donation expected from each participant is $150, or $250 for a family. 100% of the proceeds go directly to the Lung Cancer Alliance. Donations may be made by check payable to the Lung Cancer Alliance at the bike-a-thon or by mail.
In each of the past two years, over eighty people have participated in the bike-a-thon, both cyclists as well as those who joined the festivities just for lunch. Lunch is donated by the organizing committee and local Chappaqua eateries and begins around 11:30 a.m. Riders must wear helmets and be at least 16 years of age. Children younger than 16 are welcome at the lunch.
For driving directions to Meadowland Farm, to sign up for the event, and to find out where donations should be sent, contact Michele Kraushaar at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)or Debbie Potash-Turner at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Click here for registration form.
Friends bike in memory of Chappaqua resident Ann Woods
The organizing committee, Michele Kraushaar, Debbie Potash-Turner, Rhea Finkelstein, Judy Ward, Lynn Leventhal, Carson Woods, Sandy Poster and Anne Angowitz were inspired to organize the bike-a-thon by the loss of their dear friend and fellow cyclist (and Carson’s wife), Ann Woods. Ann used to bike with her friends near Meadowland Farms. The last time was just a month before her lung cancer diagnosis, so raising money on a bike seemed a fitting memorial to her.
Ann was a long-time Chappaqua resident who passed away in March 2007 after a short but courageous battle with lung cancer. Debbie Potash-Turner, who had also lost her mother to lung cancer, identified the Lung Cancer Alliance as the recipient of the funds raised because of their tireless work toward the goal of eradicating lung cancer.
The Lung Cancer Alliance is the only national non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to patient support and advocacy for people living with lung cancer or those at risk for the disease. Lung cancer carries a heavy stigma because it is a disease perceived to be brought on its victims’ smoking habits. But in fact, many cases of lung cancer are not caused by smoking, as in Ann’s case. Nevertheless, the stigma exists and makes it hard to raise funds for research. For more information or to make a donation directly, log on to lungcanceralliance.org.
