What is a little snow?

In light of the weather yesterday, it is tough to imagine that in just 6 short months we will have a beautiful sunny day at NCCC for the 19th annual Tour de Cure. Let me just say - 19 years that is pretty amazing!! The Tour de Cure has been raising money for the American Diabetes Association for that long here in Western New York.... I'll just say this - in 1991 when the Tour de Cure started - I was graduating from elementary school! Memories... Enough about that ...

Let me share a bit about me - as many of you know, I am the Tour de Cure Coordinator. I'm looking forward to blogging with you about what is happening with the Tour more casually than the informational emails you get from me as the event draws near. I think we have a great group of riders and volunteers in Buffalo and I love the idea of being able to have a community feel that a site like this will bring to the ride. I've been working for the American Diabetes Association for 3 years now and this is the 4th Tour de Cure that I've planned... I hope this will be our best year yet.

Every year presents new challenges and new opportunities - this year our challenge and opportunity is to get Buffalo's event back into the Top 10 Tour de Cure events across the nation. We fell to #12 in 2008 - which is still fantastic - but we used to hold the #1 spot .... I like a good challenge - and I'd love to blow our $400,000 goal out of the water.... We've got tough competition from Rochester and Albany - who held the #6 and #4 spots - and to get back to #1 we'd need to beat Napa Valley who raised an amazing $1.2 million in 2008. But first, I'll settle for beating Rochester...and to start knocking on Albany's door... ha ha..

What is most important is WHY? Why are we riding, why are we raising money, why do people come to NCCC at the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning (I know it is to see me - because you all LOVE me ... ha ha..) ...

We ride because diabetes does not have a CURE... that is right .. there is NO CURE yet for diabetes. There are more than 140,000 Western New York men, women and children who have diabetes. These people are our friends and family. It could be your co-worker or your best friend's child or your husband's mother. The advances made in diabetes care are directly related to research that is supported through YOUR FUNDRAISING efforts...

When I plan the Tour de Cure - I make sure that every cost is covered by corporate sponsorship dollars - and that everything is donated - so that ALL THE DOLLARS YOU RAISE go to support our mission... that is important.

What is also important is that those dollars COME BACK TO BUFFALO!... We fund things locally like research at UB, Camp for Children with Diabetes in Rush, NY, Advocacy days in Albany and Washington DC to fight for more funding for research from the federal government and for your rights... and for education and information for people with diabetes and their families.

Why do I raise money (because just like each of you - I register every year - and collect donations from my friends and family)? I raise money for some close friends who have diabetes..... I want a cure for them.... and I'll do whatever I can do to support that...

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.....even though it is a crazy, cold, snowy Buffalo day... I'm thinking of a 68', partly cloudy clear sky on June 6 - and I'm psyched to share what goes through my crazy head up until that point via this blog..
CHEERS....