Oct. 8 Ride for Heroes invites bicyclists to ride

The following press release has been sent to Wilson-Rocky Mount-Tarboro-Roanoke Rapids area newspapers and radio stations:

Heroes Ride on Two Wheels

More than 100 bicyclists will depart the Imperial Centre in downtown Rocky Mount Saturday morning, Oct. 8, for a non-competitive ride through Rocky Mount and Nash County. In addition to a pleasant ride through the countryside on an autumn morning, cyclists will get the satisfaction of knowing their pedaling will support the disaster relief efforts of the American Red Cross.

All proceeds from the Ride for Heroes will go to the Frederick E. Turnage Chapter’s Disaster Relief Fund. The Turnage chapter provides Red Cross services in five counties (Nash, Edgecombe, Wilson, Halifax and Northampton). As a regional chapter, it also has oversight over a 28-county region, and all of those counties were affected by Hurricane Irene. Red Cross disaster funds have been depleted by the expense of providing immediate relief and recovery assistance to thousands of North Carolina residents. Immediately before and following Hurricane Irene’s landfall on Aug. 27, the Red Cross opened 57 shelters in eastern North Carolina for evacuees and recorded more than 8,000 overnight stays in those shelters, making it the largest sheltering operation in North Carolina since Hurricane Floyd in 1999. To provide nourishment to storm victims, the Red Cross served nearly 165,000 meals and more than 230,000 snacks. More than 750 Red Cross volunteers and staff were involved in the disaster relief operation.

Bicycle enthusiasts can enjoy rides of 25, 50 or 100 kilometers (17, 33 or 62 miles) with the knowledge that they are helping the Red Cross assist disaster victims. Each course includes stops for nourishment and hydration and, if needed, bathroom breaks. Course maps are available online. Each course weaves through rolling countryside with maximum elevation changes of 75 to 100 feet, and each begins and ends at the Imperial Centre. To see the course maps or to register online, visit www.turnageredcross.org and click on the Ride for Heroes link. Registration is $30 per cyclist until Oct. 6. Ride day registration will be $35, and each registrant receives a T-shirt.

Sponsorships are available ranging from $100 to $1,000. Sponsors can contribute to Ride for Heroes via a credit card by clicking the Ride for Heroes link at www.turnageredcross.org and choosing the Ride for Heroes sponsorship link.

Ride for Heroes coincides with the Eastern Carolina BBQ Throwdown taking place Oct. 8 at the Train Station a few blocks away from the Imperial Centre. The Throwdown is a two-day, sanctioned, national barbecue competition and celebration. See details at http://www.bbqthrowdown.net or follow the link at the Ride for Heroes website.

Cycling fans are welcome to greet participants and cheer them on along the route and at the finish line.