- - Pandemic, COVID-19, Shelter-In-Place, Masks and Gloves plus Sanitizer galore!
- "The Flu on Steroids" as it has been called, to date has killed 57,000 Americans out of 1 million (5.7%) of those who got this virus, and we're not nearly done! Susan's and my condolences to any of your family or friends you have lost.
- And who are especially at risk?! The old and infirm ("underlying medical conditions"), like many of us retired folk and certainly every Friedreich's Ataxian! That USA 5.7% overall death rate swells by a times 3 factor at least among this demographic.
- The ever-present danger to first responders and hospital staff! Today's heroes!
- And all those temporarily or permanently put out of work?! Businesses that won't recover. A sad day for the economy. Recession or depression, you pick the term.
- And what will the New Normal look like? Even after this virus will we look at "the flu" differently as we newly realize many thousands die of it each year?
So now I've painted this somber backdrop to FARA's 2020 NorCal Ride Ataxia fundraiser. But FA continues to kill young men and women far short of their expected and deserved lifespan independent of and in addition to COVID-19, and so we continue this battle in parallel with the virus battle.
Brianne won't last much longer, and it will be the miracles of miracles if she is in time to get a drug that can pull her back from the brink. But she continues to want to win this FA fight for all the FA'ers coming after her. And so we will, all of us, for her and those coming after her!
I'm disappointed to share that, like many other public events, the May 30th NorCal event has been changed from a real-time get-together to a Virtual Challenge Month of May!
- Each rider now will decide on a COVID-19-environment-appropriate challenge to complete.
- Mine will be to complete my originally planned 23 mile ride on or before my 75th birthday! (which would have been on the event day of May 30, 2020!)
So what challenge strategy should I follow??
- I could ride .7 miles every day for 30 days and finish with a rousing 2.7 mile ride on the 30th! No it wouldn't be very hard on my body, but "the challenge" would be to do that ride rain or shine (what rain??) every day for 30 days. The additional REAL challenge would be to get YOU to ride with me every day! Oh, I hear you. Yes that would bring us back again talking about Miracles. lol
- Or I could ride once a week for 5 miles and make a strong finish in the last week of 8 miles! Mmm, 5 or 8 miles on a bike is not very much and managing to ride 4 times in the month of May isn't much of "a personal challenge" either. I think this option will be scrapped.
- The third option is to do the whole 23 miles on or very close to my birthday! Either the 29th or 30th. I'm in such out-of-shape shape it would certainly be a challenge to finish in one ride! Let's do that! Yes, I did say "let's". The Rohnert Park/Cotati/Penngrove route I will ride offers several shorter mileage "return-to-home" options that we can discuss closer to the day of the ride.
So that's it! A local 23 mile ride for me (or shorter for you) on the 29th or 30th of May with 6' spacing and masks as needed included. Let me know if you would like to ride with me. It would be great!
And of course this is a fundraiser for the cure and treatment of Friedreich's Ataxia so if you are in a lucky place in this economically strapped Springtime I would love for you to sponsor me, and/or if your will ride with me and want to gather sponsors for yourself that would be grand! We'll get you officially signed up with the Ride (no entry fee for this virtual event).
To sponsor me you can
- hand me cash (or throw it from 6'. I'll sanitize it later),
- mail me a check (1921 Alice Dr., Penngrove, 94951) and made out to "FARA", or
- go to our Team Blue Skies web page where you can decide who to sponsor (Brianne, Paul, Richard or The Team).
There are 4 weeks in May! Our team is at $0.00 now but we hope to make the goal of $2,000 by my birthday. Sponsor me instead of a present! I'm good with that! :-)
May you all stay safe during this time!
Paul
