Last Tuesday night I joined a few friends at the gala kick-off event for the 2019 Tour de Cure, a day of walking, running, but mostly biking events to benefit the American Diabetes Association. It’s a huge event, drawing a few thousand participants, which has been taking place in Rochester for years.
The kick-off pep rally itself was equally huge. Organizers had to cut off registrations at 500 people, who packed the Holiday Inn Downtown ballroom. Vendors and sponsors lined the walls, offering give-aways and raffles. Balloons floated everywhere, and a fine dinner was served.
It was a party atmosphere, buoyed by the additional knowledge that Rochester’s Tour de Cure has become the largest in the nation. Last year almost 2,000 riders raised more than $1 million to fund diabetes research and help send children with diabetes to summer camp.
But the reason I decided to write about this today is this: “Rochester’s” Tour de Cure is actually hosted in Webster.
This huge annual event begins and ends at one of the Xerox parking lots off of Chiyoda Drive. And you want to talk about a party atmosphere? The day of the ride, that lot is filled with tents and music and fire trucks and food trucks, thousands of bikes and people. Webster can be very proud to be hosting this, the biggest Tour de Cure in the whole country.
This year’s Rochester Tour de Cure is Saturday June 8. It will feature a 3.5-mile run or walk, and six different cycling routes ranging from 3.5 to 100 miles. Organizers are hoping to grow the event even bigger in 2019, aiming for 2,500 participants. There’s a distance and event for everyone — even walkers. Click here for more information.
My friends and I will be joining the event for the very first time this year, challenging ourselves to ride 25 miles. We invite you to join us and our Amiel’s The Original Submarine Team. I met a few of my new teammates Tuesday night and can already tell it’s a great group of people.
If you can’t take part but would like to support the cause, feel free to log onto the Amiel’s team page or my personal page to make a donation. Every penny goes to support the American Diabetes Association.
* * *
webster on the web 
Leave a Reply