Joe Mure of Neposit and Angelo Gurino of Howard Beach at the finish line of the 100-mile bike ride they pedaled through to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Forum photo courtesy of JDRF.
Each year, riders from around the world come together for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Ride To Cure Diabetes. The ride is designed with a two prong challenge: raising the money needed to fund research for better treatments and a cure for diabetes, and reaching a personal training goal to prepare for a destination cycling experience.
This year The Forum congratulates two local residents, businessman Angelo Gurino of Howard Beach and Neponsit attorney Joe Mure who travelled to La Crosse, Wisconsin in order to participate in the 100-mile trek through the Northwest.
The two men, along with 400 other riders, navigated a course situated between the bluffs of Wisconsin and the Mississippi River that crosses three states, two bridges and the mighty Mississippi.
Gurino and Mure were all smiles at the finish line, despite a serious spill taken by Gurino when a cyclist in front of him lost control, causing his bike to go down and resulting in cuts and bruises on his face, arms and legs. “It’s all part of the experience,” said the owner of Ragtime Gourmet in an attempt to minimize his injuries, “and what really matters is that our leg of the ride raised over a million dollars toward the cause. That’s worth a fall and a few cuts.”
The JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes is a unique concept designed to raise money in the continuing fight against diabetes. Charitable cyclists can choose from one of five rides throughout the year to raise money for JDRF. The rides are all between 30 and 100 miles and offer various physical challenges for bikers. JDRF provides support and coaching for all riders, helping them to get into proper shape for the rides. Participants can work with USA Cycling certified coaches for months prior to individual rides scattered across the country.
This year, the five starting points for individual races are Burlington,Vermont, Tahoe, California, La Crosse, Wisconsin, Death Valley, California and Tucson, Arizona. Both Mure and Gurino have personal connections to the disease. Mure, a diabetic himself, has a son who is afflicted with the disease and Gurino’s nephew, Vincent, was diagnosed several years ago with Type 1 Diabetes.
The autoimmune disease is one in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Scientists believe there are environmental and genetic triggers for the disease although the actual cause continues to elude medical researchers. As many as three million Americans may have Type 1 Diabetes. And according to statistics provided by JDRF, more than 15,000 children and 15,000 adults – approximately 80 people per day – are diagnosed with the disease each year in the U.S. It strikes children and adults, causes dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications.
Overall the series of races is targeted to raise at least $5 million in the fight to find a cure.
For more information on how you can get involved go to www.jdrf.org.
By Patricia Adams
