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Our Media Release
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MEDIA RELEASE For Immediate Release Local Cyclist Joins Two-Time Tour de France Winner Two-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong is rewarding cancer fighters with a free trip to Austin, Texas to join him in the fifth annual Ride for the Roses charity bicycle ride. The proceeds go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping people manage and survive cancer. Chad & Kathy Davies have pledged to raise $5000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation as members of the Peloton Project, a program through which individuals and teams raise funds in their local communities. In honor of Kathy’s father, Evan Holt, who was lost to diabetes and prostate cancer, the Davies’ are planning several money-raising events. One effort they are calling "Going the Distance." They are asking donors to pledge an amount per mile for every mile they ride in a sponsored event. They will be riding in the Cruisin’ in the Country Century Weekend in Claxton on November 11, 2000 and the Pecan City Pedalers "Wheel" Millennium on January 6, 2001 Chad, a physics instructor at Gordon College in Barnesville plans to ride a total of 200 miles in the two events; Kathy, a computer support specialist at the Georgia Experiment Station in Griffin plans to ride 60. Other fund-raising events are being considered. The Peloton Project was launched in 1998 as a result of interest on the part of cyclists around the U.S. who wished to join Lance Armstrong in his fight against cancer. The founding class of 75 raised $260,000, and the 2000 group of 450 members brought in a whopping $1.2 million. Peloton Project members who raise at least $1,000 qualify for recognition awards, and members who raise at least $5,000 receive an all-expenses paid trip to the Ride for the Roses Weekend in Austin. The Ride for the Roses is among the most popular and significant events in the world of cycling. The annual Ride for the Roses Weekend, held in Austin, Texas, attracts more than 5,000 participants in the 10- to 100-mile Ride for the Roses. Other events include: the "Live to Ride" Gala and silent auction fund-raiser, the Downtown Criterium, a competitive cycling race with categories for both professional and amateur cyclists in various categories and the Health and Sport Expo. The 2000 Ride for the Roses Weekend raised almost $2 million for the Lance Armstrong Foundation cancer survivorship programs and services. By now, many people are aware of Lance Armstrong’s inspiring story. Diagnosed at age 25 with testicular cancer, Armstrong was given a fifty percent chance to live. The world-class cyclist faced enormous odds and uncertainty about his future, but from the moment of his diagnosis, he declared himself a cancer survivor, not a cancer victim. He took an active role in educating himself about his disease and the treatment. Armed with knowledge and confidence in medicine, he underwent aggressive treatment and beat the disease. In 1999, the world witnessed one of the greatest comebacks in sports history when Armstrong won the Tour de France. In winning his second Tour victory in 2000, he again proved his superior strength – both as a cyclist and a cancer survivor. Founded by Armstrong in 1997, the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s mission is to help people manage and survive cancer. The Foundation focuses its activities in three primary areas: public education and awareness, survivor services and support, and medical and scientific research grants. To learn more about the Lance Armstrong Foundation or the Peloton Project, please contact the Foundation at (512) 236-8820 or visit the Web site at www.laf.org.
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This page was last modified on: July 06, 2001 |
