Dear Friends,
My name is John Clark, and this is my mother Ruth
Clark and my sister Jeanne Warren. Our
mother had Alzheimer’s disease for about 14 years and this picture of us was
taken in the summer of 2003. Mom passed
away from Alzheimer’s January 16, 2004 just prior to her 96th
birthday. Jeanne was mom’s caregiver
for several years until mom became a resident of Collier’s Rehab and Nursing
Center in Ellsworth, ME. In memory of
our mother, my cycling effort will continue.
This summer I will be doing my seventh long distance bicycle
ride to raise funds for the CT Alzheimer’s Association. Since 1999, over $77,000 has been raised due
to contributions from hundreds of special people: friends, neighbors,
colleagues, Pequot Cyclists and community organizations. This 2,116 mile ride will be from San
Francisco, California to St. Joseph, Missouri, June 4 to July 4, 2005. I will be riding again with America By
Bicycle, the #1 fully supported Bicycle Touring Company in America.
My goal this summer is to raise $16,000. Would you please help me toward my
goal? Please make your check payable
to Alzheimer’s Association, and mail it to me at:
Ride For Alzheimer's, P.O. Box 574, Gales
Ferry, CT 06335
Alzheimer’s Association CT. Chapter provides:
·
Major contributions to research
·
Emotional support to those diagnosed, their caregivers,
families, couples and early stage individuals
·
Local caregiver courses/ seminars for families
·
24 hour / 7day help-line in many languages
·
Safe Return program for those that wander
·
Library – books, videos, awareness programs
Over 100,000 in CT and over 5,000,000 in the US are afflicted
with this disease, and many more families are impacted by its effects. Current projection is 15,000,000 by the year
2050. Hopefully, with high expectations
from new research, a cure or slowing of the progression of this terrible
disease will be there for your family or someone you know and care about.
I am an avid road cyclist and a member of the Pequot
Cyclists Club in Southeastern CT. My
training will be a combination of 150 - 200 miles per week on the road and
frequent “spinning” in the gym. I will
be writing a trip journal and taking digital pictures daily. My website (www.RideForAlzheimers.com)
will be updated daily by my stepson Ed Bareiss and also has 60 links to
Alzheimer’s information sites. Please
access my site and follow me on my ride.
Feel free to sign my guest book or leave me an e-mail message. The above picture was taken in a 20 acre field
of sunflowers in Missouri, while on my Mississippi River Ride during the summer
of 2004.
A
Thank You Party will be held at Alice Acres Farm, Bud Crandall Pavilion
on Sunday, July 16, from 3-5 p.m. Thanks
for your help! I look forward to
hearing from you all, and I will be thinking of you as I pedal 2,116 miles across
the wild and beautiful West.
Best regards,
JOHN