rideATAXIAO2017The 7th Annual rideATAXIA Orlando was held on November 12, 2017 at Waterfront Park in Clermont, FL. This event is always near and dear to my heart because I have family in Orlando, and we been involved with it since the beginning. This year was really exciting for me; as I rode my own recumbent hand cycle. I also gave a speech as a FARA Ambassador about my personal experience with FA, the encouraging progress of FA research, and most importantly a sincere thank you to the participants of the event.

It was a FAntastic day that welcomed over 250 riders and raised over $100,000. The weather was perfect for riding…warm with a cool breeze around the lake. As usual the food from Outback and Carrabas was delicious! The menu consisted of steak, chicken Marsala, macaroni and cheese, rigatoni, broccoli, and Cesar salad. Cycle Ataxia sponsored the Orlando ride for $10,000. Created in Ireland by Barry Rice, Cycle Ataxia exists to raise funds for FA research. We were honored to have Barry and his father join us for the ride. 

Kyle Bryant announced the top fundraisers for the day, I spoke on behalf of the FA community, and Paul Avery, chair of the FARA board, talked the crowd for a few minutes. FARA supporter Tom Bradley led the crowd in a bidding rally at the end to successfully put the fundraising effort over the $100,000 mark. It was a great way to energize and involve the crowd. Overall, it was a FAbulous day, and I can't wait until the next rideATAXIA Orlando!

8th Annual rideATAXIA Orlando. Saturday, November 10, 2018. Waterfront Park. Clermont, FL. Mark your calendar and join us! rideATAXIA.org/orlando

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