Vehicle Route Support for the Tri State Trek
My connection to ALS started ten years ago when my daughter, Brittany, was asked to be a Ride Marshal for the Tri State Trek, which at the time was a three-day 270 mile bike ride from Newton MA to Greenwich CT. At that time, our family knew little about ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). My daughter’s role was to be the sweep and stay with the slowest group of riders, help them if needed, and encourage them during the ride. Brittany spent most of her time as sweep riding with an enthusiastic team called What About Bobby? who rallied around Bobby Forster, an amazing young man living with ALS. Bobby’s team and the whole Trek community welcomed my daughter as family. Two years later, Brittany encouraged me to join the community as a route support volunteer. I would drive the route that the cyclists travel and stop anytime they needed help, whether it was for water, a snack, pumping air in their tires, a lift to the next rest stop, jumping out of the van to direct traffic near upcoming hidden turns, and, my favorite part, ringing the cowbells to give them inspiration to continue riding. Once my van passed the lead rider, I would circle back to the end of the pack of riders and start all over again. I was paired with another volunteer (a researcher working to end ALS) who cheered out the window (and sunroof!) the entire time – it was amazing to spend the weekend with both families impacted by ALS and the scientists dedicated to finding a cure. The following year my husband, Jeff, joined me on the route support crew. We have crewed together the past five years. In 2023 the Tri State Trek was changed to a 200 mile bike ride and moved to Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Over the many years I have met so many incredible families who are caring for loved ones with ALS or have lost someone to this heart-wrenching disease but still return to fight for a cure for others. ALS is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that causes muscle weakness, difficulty breathing and swallowing, and paralysis while leaving the senses intact. ALS TDI (Therapy Development Institute) is the world's first and largest nonprofit biotech focused 100 percent of ALS research. They understand the urgent need to slow and stop this horrible disease I realize these are tough times for everyone, but I'm asking for help in reaching my goal of donations if you can. No amount is too small--I cannot express how passionate I am about helping to fund the research to one day have a cure of this terrible disease. Let’s end ALS together!!! "ALS is not an incurable disease, it's an underfunded one!" THANK YOU ALL !!
