The Spokesman
| A newsletter of the Pedal-with-Pete Foundation |
Spring 2003The Spokesman
|
$38,000 GRANTED TO CP RESEARCH
What a thrill it was for Pedal-with-Pete to present a grant of $38,000 to cerebral palsy research in December 2002. The excellent support of the Kent bike & hike-a-thon, the very successful first year Columbus ride, the annual Emmetsburg, Iowa ride, and the enthusiastic support of the WALK-A-MILE challenge, as well as many generous donations, all contributed to this total. To date, PWP has been able to grant well over $100,000 to CP research.
Recipient of these funds is Dr. Leland Albright of Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital. Upon receiving the $38,000 check, Ronald L. Violi, President and CEO of the hospital wrote, “On behalf of everyone at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, especially our patients and their families, thank you for Pedal-with-Pete's generous grant of $38,000 to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation for cerebral palsy research. Since the hospital opened its doors in 1890, philanthropy has been a Children's Hospital tradition and one that has played an important part in our success. We simply would not be where we are today without the generosity of friends like you. Thank you for sharing our strong commitment to the children of this community and for helping to make Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh one of the world’s premier pediatric institutions.”
Dr. Albright’s work with deep brain stimulation and use of the baclofen pump has lessened spasticity, increased freedom of movement and given hew hope to many with CP. Thank you for being a part of this important work.
In January of this year, Pedal-with-Pete lost a long-time supporter and friend. Don White has served on the board and has been instrumental in planning and marking the Kent bike-a-thon routes. We are grateful for his many years of faithful service and we extend our heartfelt sympathy to his wife Ruth and to his family. He will be greatly missed.
Gifts to Pedal-with-Pete in Don’s memory have been received from:
Donald S Khotz
Barbara White
Pete & Marilyn Weiland
Vic Abbey – President of Busch Entertainment Corp - for the company
Culinary Operations & Sesame Place – Busch Gardens
Horst & Edith Hebrank
Thomas J LaRose
Ray & Gretchen Klingensmith
Ray & Mary-Lou White
George & Judy Gaiser
Dr. Allan & Erline Sager
Mary Lou Steinert
Ken & Phyllis Kenreich
Carol Strong
Ruth Scheerer
Bill & Bev Head
Barbara & Marlen Perkins
Ina Muencheberg
9th ANNUAL KENT BIKE & HIKE EVENT TO BE MAY 17
Start and finish at Fred Fuller Park on Middlebury Road
It’s time to oil your bikes and dust off your walking shoes! Pedal-with-Pete’s main event will soon be here. The 9th Annual Kent Bike & Hike-a-thon is scheduled for Saturday, May 17 with start and finish at the Roy Smith shelter at Fred Fuller Park. Two rides are being planned—a short route of about 15 miles and a longer ride of just under 40 miles. Refreshments and water will be available at Fred Fuller and also at the rest stop in Hudson on the long route. The walk will be along the Cuyahoga River to Brady’s Leap with an alternate wheelchair and stroller accessible route along the bike & hike trail starting in Munroe Falls. Registration and sign-in time is 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. Participants are encouraged to solicit pledges. Prizes for most money turned in on ride day as well as door prizes will be presented. A registration flyer is enclosed with this newsletter. If you did not receive one, leave us a message at 1-800-304-PETE. We’ll pop one in the mail to you. In the meantime, mark your calendar for May 17 and plan to join us.
Corporate and Individual Sponsorship Is Also Being Sought
We are inviting area businesses and friends of Pedal-with-Pete to partner with us to support the overall event. Please use the form below to become a 2003 sponsor. Our corporate and individual sponsors help defray costs so more dollars go to CP research.
TEAM Participation for Corporations/Family/Friends
Go Team! We expect to hear those words a lot on May 17 as groups of four or more riders, walkers or a combination of both participate together. We’re encouraging corporations, families and friends to consider registering in the “Team” division. Each team member is asked to register individually and to gather pledges. Team pledges will be totaled together and prizes given to the largest team and the one who turns in the most money on the 17th. Last year’s winners: Marty’s Bike Shop and Team Faith.
2003 BIKE & HIKE-A-THON SPONSORSHIP FORM
{ YES! I will sponsor at the following level:
{ Millennium-$1000 { Golden Spoke-$250 { Titanium-$500
{ Silver Chain-$100 { Pedal Partner-$50 { Sole Supporter-$5 - $49
Name _________________________________________________________________
Address________________________________ City/State_______________Zip______
Telephone _______________________________Email__________________________
{ Check enclosed payable to Pedal-with-Pete Amount $_______________
…and Addy and Nathan and Neal and Sarah Jane
Pedal-with Pete asked our friends across the country to remember those who cannot walk—and those who walk with great difficulty due to cerebral palsy. We challenged you to WALK A MILE for them…and to give a gift of gratitude for your ability to walk—a gift to fund research to help find a way for them to walk someday. And walk you did! We thank you for your generosity and for your words of encouragement. We heard from friends old and young and near and far. Here are just a few of them:
“Pete, we are so proud of you because you have made a difference in so many people’s lives.” Martin & Alice & Cassie (seeing eye dog) from Cleveland, OH, walked in Toronto, Canada
John walked in the neighborhood with his wife. Hudson, OH
“I attempt to walk at least 10 blocks once a day and know how that helps my knees and legs. At 73 yrs. I am grateful for the ability to walk. I walk around the small town of Elsmore, KS.” Henryetta, Elsmore, KS
“On our honeymoon, we took a beautiful fall hike in the mountains…often as we walk we think of those who have difficulties with their mobility and count our blessings.” Gail & Michael, Weaverville, NC
“We walked—or to be more accurate—I walked and Sebastian rode in his stroller and enjoyed watching the world go by.” Laura and Sebastian (13 months) Atlanta, GA
“This was a good idea—we took our walk early. God bless you for focusing on raising funds for cerebral palsy.” Phil & Susan, Jackson, MI
“I was Sarah Jane’s primary nurse in the NICU at University Medical Center. I walked with my two daughters around our neighborhood.” Dublin, OH
“It was a beautiful fall day and I walked with Neal’s cousins at a Nature Center near the Fox River… I have always wanted to walk this trail! My daughter, son-in-law and their children all walked for you!” Anne, Downers Grove, IL
“I walked with my dog, Kayla, a yellow lab, around the block in our neighborhood. Barb, North Olmsted, OH
“$1 for every mile I walked during my regular morning walks for 1 week.” Holly, Kingsport, TN
“Walked around Charlotte, NC at a NASCAR race for 2 days! Stopped only to buy gifts for my grandchildren: Nick, Jared & Nathan.” Ray, North Royalton, OH
“I twisted my knee rather badly about four weeks ago. Since then I have been using a cane for support. On Tuesday of this week I walked from my house to the house of Shirley and Jim. This was the first that I had walked outside since my foolish household accident.” Marion, Jensen Beach, FL
“We chose to walk around our neighborhood & campus.” Earlene & Dave, Kent, OH
“Dear Pete, We think of you often and hope you are doing well. I’m retired now and take care of my three year old grandson, Michael everyday. Dottie and I and Michael went for a walk in the valley the other day and dedicated the walk to you and cerebral palsy research. Thanks for encouraging us and giving us a great reason to get out and enjoy God’s creation. God bless you and yours.” John, Lakewood, OH
Thank you to all who
walked from Sarah Jane, Nathan, Neal, Addy and Pete
And a big thank you to Panera Bread for supplying bagels for the Walk
Kick-Off Walk at Munroe Falls Park in Stow, Ohio.
FUNDRAISING IDEAS FROM NATHAN’S MOM. . .
I wanted to give you an update on all of our Cerebral Palsy Research fundraising efforts!
Notecards/Stuffed
Animals:
The students at the school I work at unanimously decided to raise money in Nathan’s name for Cerebral Palsy research. The Student Council and National Honor Society have been selling notecards and stuffed animals that were donated by the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh at home basketball games. They have also displayed them at school in the lobby showcase. (If the little boy looks familiar, well that’s because it’s my son Nathan!) About $460.00 has been raised and they are still selling!
Country Club Casual Friday:
To date we have raised $395.00 by donating $1.00 every Friday from those staff members that wish to participate. Once they have paid their “fee”, they are then allowed to dress "Country Club Casual" that Friday.
Quilt Raffle:
The FCCLA (Future Community Career Leaders of America) at our school is working on a Baby Quilt Raffle. They are in the process of making 3 Walt Disney themed baby quilts and will be selling raffle tickets at $1.00/ticket or 6 for $5.00.
If
you are interested in purchasing raffle tickets, notecards or stuffed animals,
please contact Suzanne Tetonis at (440) 254-0815 or e-mail
tetoniss@perry-lake.k12.oh.us
and let me know the item(s) you would like to purchase, the quantity and your
mailing address. If you call my home and get the answering machine, please leave
a phone number just in case! I will mail your items within 1-2 days. Thank you!
To Pete Zeidner and Chris Hudecek
who announced their engagement in December. Although the date has not been set, we are listening for wedding bells sometime in 2004.
We wish them the very best.
PWP VISITS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL PITTSBURGH
In November 2002, several Kent Pedal-with-Pete members went to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh to tour the facilities and meet with Dr. Albright. Carol Ashby of the Office of Development and Karen, an associate of Carol's, greeted us. While there we were able to visit three areas of the hospital. The first was the emergency room where we were introduced to the head of the department. There they see an average of 150,000 children a year from the Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. Many of these children are victims of abuse. From there, we continued to the neo-natal unit. One unique aspect of this unit is that a camera can be placed for the family to view the baby by phone. Several of the infants weighed less than three pounds and were on life support. The last stop on our tour was a playroom on one of the floors. In this room, medical discussion was off limits.
During lunch, Dr. Albright stopped by for a quick visit. There he gave a brief update on his research and shared with us some before and after videos of his patients with CP. These patients received deep brain stimulation and went from a life of severe spasticity and little movement to a life of walking around freely.
This tour was a very enlightening and worthwhile venture. We hope to go back in the future to tour their new complex, which will open in 2007.
Pete Zeidner and Christine Hudecek
…..Presents another great GIANT bicycle—a Cypress Comfort Cross Bike for our May 17 bike raffle. This bike is simple, fast and fun with a suspension seat post to smooth out the bumps and a wide gear range to handle the hills. AND IT CAN BE YOURS! Raffle tickets at $5 each or five for $20 are available via the Bike & Hike-a-thon registration flyer, or by email, phone, or US mail. (See inside front cover for addresses). In the meantime, for all your cycling needs, visit MARTY’S BIKE SHOP, at 3253 Kent Road in Stow. While there, check out this GIANT which can be yours with the purchase of just one ticket!