CANCER IS DRAMATIC. DIABETES IS A GRIND.

Join Mari Ruddy, Founder of the Red Rider Program, at American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure Kick Off

Danvers, Massachusetts – [January 27, 2012] – The American Diabetes Association will host a Kick Off Event to launch Tour De Cure North Shore 2012 on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at the Village Green in Danvers, MA from 6:00-8:00pm. This year, the event will have a Special Guest Mari Ruddy! Ruddy the founder of the American Diabetes Associations’ Red Rider Program, Team Red, Founder and Director of TeamWILD, will be a guest speaker that night along with hosting an exclusive meet and greet for all Red Riders from 5:30-6:00.

Mari Ruddy, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for 30 years and now a two time breast cancer survivor, created the Red Rider program and ran the program in Colorado for two years. Red Riders are people with diabetes who are raising awareness of diabetes and raising money to stop diabetes by participating in American Diabetes Association sponsored cycling events across the country. The purpose of Red Rider program is to support everyone who lives with diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2, and showcases the courage it takes to live every day with this difficult disease.

 

At the Kick Off, Ruddy will share her struggles and triumphs with “25 years of blood testing, shots, insulin pumping, carb counting, and meal planning.” She will provide encouragement and inspiration, “If you are a person surviving diabetes, I implore you to ride this year and do everything you can to declare your status, so others on the course and in the wider community have the opportunity to celebrate and be inspired by you,”. “I ask you to get on your bike and ride strong and sure. Riding in a Tour de Cure is the affirmation of your courage and perseverance.”

The Tour de Cure Staff, Committee, and Mari Ruddy invite friends, family members, cyclists, those with diabetes and those who support someone with diabetes to take part in this motivational event. Become one of the 1,000+ cyclists from around the region that will gather at one of four routes to participate in the event to help raise funds to stop this devastating disease. You can join more than 50,000 other cyclists and volunteers from across the country. Individuals and teams composed of co-workers, family and friends are taking the ride of their life by helping raise funds for the nearly 26 million Americans with diabetes. Sponsored nationally by Gold’s Gym and Clif Bar, Fit Werx, North Shore Magazine, Beverly Hospital, Pinnacle Bike Shop, Seaside Cycle, Guru Cycles, Cervelo, & Parlee Cycles ,Tour de Cure is designed for anyone from the occasional to the experienced cyclist with routes from 15-mile family rides to 100-mile century rides. The route will feature rest stops with food to fuel the journey and volunteers to cheer riders on! Tour de Cure Page 2

RSVP today to join us and Mari Ruddy for door prizes, light appetizers, registration specials, and exciting details about what is in store for the May 20, Tour de Cure at Pingree School, South Hamilton.

 

For more information about the Kick Off Party on February 7th or the North Shore Tour De Cure at Pingree School, please contact Karen Bagley at 617-482-4580 ext. 3487 or kbagley@diabetes.org . Or sign up today at http://diabetes.org/northshoretour .

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For more information, please visit www.diabetes.org/northshoretour.

To schedule an interview with Mari Ruddy or with one of the North Shore Tour de Cure Red Riders, please contact Karen Bagley at 617-482-5480 ext. 3461 or by email at kbagley@diabetes.org.