Observer Online | Reston Tour de Cure Pedals Past $200,000

Edition of June 17, 2005

Reston Tour de Cure Pedals Past $200,000
By Chris Hannas Special to The Observer
More than $200,000 was raised by for diabetes treatment and research by 500 cyclists pedaling from Reston Town Center on round-trip courses in the American Diabetes Association's 14th annual Tour de Cure on June 12.
With courses of 100, 63, 32 and 12 miles, riders of all ages and abilities could participate. Tracey White's 9-year-old son Mikey has lived with diabetes for six years. Although she and her family are casual riders, they know riding in Tour de Cure can help the ADA. White's team raised more than $4,500, repeating as one of the highest fundraising teams from last year.
"We started Mikey's Team four years ago for him," said White, who is president of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce. "Since then my mother in law has been diagnosed and we also ride for her."
Mel Girard, of Norfolk, who participated in the 63-mile ride and has ridden across Iowa several times, said the event was a good way to get him back on the bike. "I had been laying off for about five months, so I decided to get going and raise money for a good cause," he said.
Todd Troutman brought his sons T.J., 14, and Brad, 10, to the ride. They represented Eli Lilly and Co., a maker of diabetes medication and other drugs. The Troutmans chose the 32-mile ride, but admitted to not doing much training.
"I used to do it a lot, so we'll see how far we get today," Todd Troutman said. "Hopefully playing soccer is enough to get these guys in shape."
Riders' experience varied from Veronica Crandall of Reston, who is training for the Ironman Florida Triathlon, to Marian Fawsett of Lorton, who said she just got a bike the day before the event. Fawsett, like many riders, has a family connection to the disease: a cousin was diagnosed at age 7.
Walter Sanchez began participating in the Reston event three years ago as a way to do some cycling without "just riding around." But that year, his father-in-law was diagnosed with diabetes, and Sanchez had strong motivation to remain involved in the ride.
Sanchez said he rides to work just about every day and prepared for the Tour de Cure by biking 12 miles in the morning and 13 more miles in the afternoon for three to four days a week.
Welcoming riders and encouraging them before the event was Jason Gross of Washington, D.C., who last year ran from New York City to Los Angeles to raise money for the ADA. But he didn't reach his $100,000 goal from that trek and continues working with the ADA to achieve his target.
Betty Digges, executive director of the ADA, said the organization has adopted a main focus of promoting a healthy lifestyle as a means of preventing diabetes. "Biking or whatever you do to be active is the best way to prevent diabetes," she said. "You can do more for yourself by eating right and exercising than anything else."
According to ADA, more than 18 million people in the United States have diabetes and 210,000 from the disease each year. In addition, more than 130,000 people in the Washington, D.C., area have diabetes, but 45,000 are unaware they have the disease.