Campbell hosts “Tour de Cure”

     The starter gun sounds.
     You start to pedal and realize you have 160 grueling miles of up and down tarmac ahead of you to reach your goal. What could cause you to want to ride from Campbell University in Buies Creek to The Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington?
     You want to make a difference.
     On Saturday, April 30, several hundred bicyclists will begin this weekend journey. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is hosting the race, “Tour de Cure,” to raise money and awareness for diabetes education and research.
     To participate, each person must have raised a minimum of $150 for the American Diabetes Association’s research. Campbell has 49 riders participating in the “Tour de Cure.” They are raising $12,000 to give to the ADA.
     "I am overjoyed with the response that we've had from the Campbell family and the surrounding community,” said Dr. Thomas Holmes, “Tour de Cure” corporate chairperson. Holmes is the associate dean for Student Affairs in the School of Pharmacy at Campbell.
     “Their generosity in supporting this event gives great encouragement to the riders when the route turns uphill, or when the wind is blowing in their face,” he said.
The race will begin around 7:30 a.m. with bike inspection, helmet check and the fundraising money turned it. From there, cyclists will follow a special route that is designed for them. Support vehicles will drive beside the cyclists. Food, water and rest stops will be provided along the way.
     The race will continue through Saturday and end Sunday, bikers take a coach bus back to Buies Creek.
     “This is a great event because it is the right matching of our interest in medical care and it is an opportunity for people to participate in fundraising,” said Holmes.
 

Bulletin 0102-4/22/05