Spa City to host JDRF event

Ride to Cure Diabetes set for Sept. 14-17

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » For the first time ever, one of the nation’s top type 1 diabetes cycling fundraisers will roll into the Capital Region this fall.

From Sept. 14 to 17, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will host the Ride to Cure Diabetes in Saratoga Springs. One of five venues chosen nationwide, the event will bring together more than 750 cyclists — 512 of those with type 1 diabetes — of all ages and skill levels. The field includes 40 riders from the Capital Region.

“The JDRF Ride isn’t just a bike ride,” JDRF Development Director Denise Nicastro said in news release. “It’s an opportunity for hundreds of riders to come together from all over the world to make new friendships, experience the unparalleled [camaraderie] of the Ride community and raise money to find a cure for [type 1 diabetes].”

There is a $2,000 fundraising minimum to take part in the event, which begins and ends at the Saratoga Springs City Center. Riders choose an event fundraising package and set their own mileage goal (25, 60 or 100 miles). Along the way, they receive support from ride coaches and fundraising experts who help them reach and exceed their fundraising goals. During the event, participants join fellow riders in lively seminars, excursions around town, award dinners and team celebrations that lead up to the main event — Ride Day.

“Riders become a part of the JDRF Ride family, a community of all ages who return year after year to come together, inspire each other and raise money to fund critical T1D research,” Nicastro said in the release, noting that the event has raised more than $38 million for T1D research since its inception. “In addition to the camaraderie, riders who complete their fundraising receive a commemorative JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes jersey. T1D riders also have the option to receive a special T1D version of the jersey instead.”

The rides, which take place August through November, have already taken place in La Crosse, Wisc., and Loveland, Colo. Future races are scheduled to take place in Amelia Island, Fla., and Tuscon, Ariz.

To register and for more information, contact Nicastro at dnicastro@jdrf.org or call (518) 477-2873.