On May 17th, my friends from Sharon’s Lounge in Rancho Cordova, CA held a spaghetti fundraiser for my team (Team Megan) and rideATAXIA NorCal. My good friends Terry Barragan, Joe Gough, Sharon Juarez, and Karen Hannum all played proactive roles in planning. As friends piled in and we all enjoyed the spaghetti and other goodies donated by people, I looked around in awe by everyone that was there for me. I know that weekends are especially busy for people, and for them to still make it meant a lot. As the afternoon went on, my other good friends Cort and Margie Stratfull did their always entertaining karaoke and added a special twist to it. This included people donating to get other unsuspecting individuals to sing. It was hilarious! All in all the event raised $1,112 for my team. My favorite part of the day was just catching up with everyone and thanking them for coming. I now feel motivated to keep doing events like these.
Then it was ride day on May 30th. My team consisted of 16 members- family and friends- most of whom do it every year. It was hard enough for me to get up early for the ride so it meant a lot to me that they got up early to do this- on a Saturday! Even though I was getting tired and it happened to be a hot day, my team is what pushed me to keep going; they all wanted to see me finish. I shocked myself to ride three miles. I give a lot of credit to my dad, Tim, for pushing me up those hills. My favorite part of the day was chatting with people and eating the delicious Outback Steakhouse lunch after the ride. In the end, my team raised over $3,000 (the most my team has ever raised). Both events just give me hope- hope that we are getting closer to finding treatments and a cure, and also making people aware of Friedreich’s Ataxia.
My name is Sean Mazeres. On May 30, 2015, we had our annual rideATAXIA NorCal. Fellow FA-milies came out to support the ride from the surrounding area of California and beyond, including riders from Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Texas. Nearly 400 riders gathered to travel routes of 6, 19, 40, 60 miles. We have a remarkable day. The weather was perfect, the rest stops were bountiful, and the meal provided by Outback Steakhouse was outstanding.
This year, we were able to raise $109,000.
This year, my team consisted of a total of 27 riders, including a local club from Foy’s Bike Shop in Woodland, California. Over the last couple of years, I have had 20-30 people on my team. I participated in the 19-mile event this year and I rode alongside friends, plus had the pleasure of being joined with my genetics doctor. I do not have a recumbent bike, however, the last couple of years, I have been blessed with a loaner-bike, provided by Alphabent Bike Shop, so that I was able to ride. Being on a recumbent gives me a sense of freedom. The day was perfect. This was my third year participating in rideATAXIA..
My parents are really involved with ride. Every year they coordinate the food for the all the rest stops as well as the breakfast, that jump starts the day. So at the crack of dawn we are preparing everything and getting food to all of the riders before the ride even begins.
Once a year we all get together and this is a time for all of us to catch up, hangout, and come together to support one another for a much greater cause. rideATAXIA is full of riders that want to make a difference, and just like you and me hope that someday we will find a cure!
The inaugural rideATAXIA NorCal took place in Grass Valley, California back in 2010 and since then we have experienced growth and increase in funds. Just the NorCal Ride alone, we have raised $670,000.00 to fuel FA research.
“Every pedal we take, every stride we make, we are one step closer to finding a cure.”
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