I'm excited to ride the West Elk Bicycle Classic, a 135-mile ride that focuses on helping children in need. The 2018 charities are Type I Diabetes research and treatment, Sharon's Kids, and Bikes and Books for Kids. Thanks for your support in helping reach my fundraising goal for this!
West Elk Bicycle Classic
THE WHAT AND WHY?
We feel that no opportunity should be wasted. You should never look back and wish you could have done more. We think about the future. Our children. This is why we ride the “Westy” or West Elk Bicycle Classic…to help others while challenging ourselves on the bike.
- Supporting Western State Colorado University
Western has taken many a young mind and helped it go on to many great outcomes. We hope by coming to Gunnison you will see that it is a great community, high-achieving school and amazing place to recreate in the great outdoors!
- Finding a Cure for Type 1 diabetes
T1 diabetes was once called juvenile diabetes. A persons pancreas can stop producing insulin at any age. Without insulin, sugar that we all use for energy can’t get into the cells. If left untreated a person will slowly starve to death. It is treatable but there is no cure. Treating it means constant insulin injections and checking of blood sugars. If the levels fall too low you can go into a coma and die. If it is too high blindness, nerve damage and many other maladies result. Once you have it will never go away. That is what we hope to change.
We have supported Sharon’s Kids in the past and will again this year. Sharon is a wonderful woman takes underprivileged kids on trips, camps and other great activities in the Paonia area. Our past donations helped Sharon arrange for them to attend computer camp at Western amongst other opportunities.
We will also be supporting the non-profit “Bikes and Books for Kids.” This 501c3 (designation to come) is focused on providing bikes, helmets, shoes, school uniforms and books to underprivileged kids in need of an education, a home library, a new bike and a helmet for safe adventures.
Bikes and Books for Kids seeks to provide books, shoes, school uniforms and other necessities (yes...even bikes!) to underprivledged children, from Nicaragua to Nepal! We will also be contributing to both Type 1 diabetes research/treatment and Sharon's Kids in Crawford.