It’s time to…Pedal to Make a Difference? …
Pedal-with-Pete is
sponsoring the eleventh annual Pedal to Make A Difference BIKE-A-THON on May 21
at Fred Fuller Park in Kent, Ohio. The
purpose of the ride is to raise funds to support cerebral palsy research
through the work of Dr. Leland Albright of Children’s Hospital of
Pittsburgh. With the help of our
sponsors, PEDAL-WITH-PETE has donated over $250,000 to Children’s
Hospital of Pittsburgh, one of the country’s leading research facilities for CP.
NEW IN 2005: We
have added a 60 mile ride for the people that really want a challenge.
ELEVENTH ANNUAL
BIKE & HIKE EVENT
SCHEDULED FOR MAY 21
Start and finish at
Fred Fuller Park on Middlebury Road in Kent
Spring has arrived, and the
plans for the Eleventh Annual
Pedal-with-Pete Bike & Hike Event are well underway. The staging area is at Fred Fuller Park on
the west side of Kent, where registration and sign in will begin at 7:30
am. Cyclists may ride 15, 40 or 60
miles, and a hike route of about 2.5 miles will be available along the
Cuyahoga River. A barrier-free walk is
also being arranged along the Bike & Hike path. Water and light refreshments will be available at four(4)
different rest stops on the longer bicycle routes. Participants are encouraged to solicit pledges, and prizes will
be awarded for the most dollars turned in on ride day. Door prizes will also be awarded. Registration
fee is $20 for all who PRE-REGISTER BY MAY 14.
Registration will be $25 at
the door. The fee will be waived
for students who turn in $20 or more in pledges on May 15. A registration flyer is enclosed with this
newsletter. The form and additional
information is also available online at www.pedalwithpete.com.
Corporate and Individual
Sponsorships & Door Prizes Being Sought
We are again inviting area
businesses and friends of Pedal-with-Pete to partner with us to support the
overall event. Our corporate and
individual sponsors help defray costs so more dollars go to CP research. Use the form below to become a 2005
sponsor. You may also use the form if
you would like to provide a door prize (merchandise, services, gift
certificates). All bike and hike
participants are entered into the door prize drawing.
Pedal-with-Pete
KSU
graduate Pete Zeidner raises money for cerebral palsy research
by Amanda Garrett February
11, 2005
Pete
Zeidner loves to ride his bike, and he doesn’t let anything stop him — not
being born with cerebral palsy, which causes him to have difficulties walking
and speaking. Not even a 1999 bike accident that broke his neck and left him
with a serious spinal cord injury.
Zeidner,
a Kent State alumnus, combines his love of biking with his passion for cerebral
palsy research in the Pedal-with-Pete Foundation. Pedal-with-Pete has raised
more than $200,000 to help people with cerebral palsy.
“I
started Pedal-with-Pete because of frustration,” Zeidner said. “I was upset
that there wasn’t any research being done for cerebral palsy. I thought I could
use my love of biking to raise money for CP.”
Once Zeidner had a dream of riding across the United States to promote
his foundation, but it was cut short because of his biking accident.
“My
accident has been the biggest setback to Pedal-with-Pete so far,” Zeidner said.
Because
of his accident, Zeidner has to bike in tandem with his fiancé, Chris Hudecek.
But Zeidner said he isn’t discouraged. “You
have to have hope in life,” he said.
Cerebral
palsy is a condition that affects muscle development and coordination. Cerebral
palsy is usually caused by brain damage to a fetus before birth, said Dr.
Leland Albright, chief of neurosurgery at the Children’s Hospital of
Pittsburgh. Dr. Albright, who works with
Pedal-with-Pete, said it is a mistake to underestimate Pete Zeidner’s
determination. “A lot of people look at
Pete and, because of the way he looks and speaks, they think he isn’t worth
much,” Dr. Albright said. “They couldn’t be more wrong. Pete’s as sharp as a
tack, and he is one of the most generous, loving and hardworking people I’ve
ever met.”
Pete’s
idea for the foundation began in 1991, when he biked more than 1,000 miles
around Ohio to raise awareness for cerebral palsy. After returning from his journey, Pete decided to start Pedal-with-Pete
in Kent, and the foundation has since added groups in Columbus and Palo Alto,
Iowa. Pete Zeidner said he enjoys seeing his foundation grow.
“It
was so exciting to see the Columbus chapter get off the ground,” he said. “They
have a lot more volunteers and raise a lot of money.” Every year the foundation sponsors a bike and hike event in May
and a bike raffle at Marty’s Bike Shop in Stow. In October the foundation
sponsors a mile walk that gives participants time to appreciate their good
health, Chris Hudecek said.
“The
event gives people time to reflect on the fact that it is so easy for them to
put one foot in front of the other, while a lot of people, like Pete, have
trouble walking,” Hurdecek said.
Most
of the money raised by Pedal-with-Pete goes to the Spasticity and Movement
Disorders Clinic at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The clinic, led by
Albright, has developed a pump that injects the drug baclofen into patient’s
spinal cords. Albright said the pump and drug helps ease muscle tension and
improves patients muscle coordination.
Those
wanting to help the foundation can contact Zeidner through his Web site at
www.pedalwithpete.com.
Contact
news correspondent Amanda Garrett at agarrett@kent.edu.
This
story was published by The Daily Kent Stater and reprinted with their
permission.
Site
URL: http://www.stateronline.com.
© 2005 The Daily Kent Stater
