Why I Follow Ride4Gabe
Note: Stephen Peters is a member of our road crew, and an integral part of Team R4G. Today we are honored to share his story, and blessed to know and love him as a part of our Duchenne family.
It's six o'clock in the morning. I'm in Oklahoma and I'm sitting in the follow vehicle behind three cyclists biking 1,500 miles from Birmingham, Alabama to Pikes Peak, Colorado.
A lot of things are on my mind.
I started this adventure following my friends and cyclist; Brian Toone, Demetrious White, and Michael Staley. They are riding 1,500 miles across eight states creating awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Through this trek, Ride4Gabe IV –– Summit Duchenne, they are supporting the Hope for Gabe Foundation from Birmingham, Alabama. I really admire what everyone is doing to help children with Duchenne, and I wanted to help them safely reach the summit while accomplishing all of their goals.
Today the adventure I'm on is even more than that for me. It’s a ride to actually fight Duchenne!
For me, things changed after recently meeting five more young men and their families. Like too many others we've met on the road, they are battling the disease. Although this disease is rare, meeting so many families it doesn’t seem to me to be such a rare disease at all.
Every person I have met –– from the service station clerks to the curious neighbors at our "shade breaks" –– has had a positive impact on Team R4G's ability to push forward. Everyone.
This being the fourth Ride4Gabe, I can honestly say the ripple effect is REAL.
These three cyclist are going over 200 miles a day for seven days in a row. That is just incredible.
One family fighting Duchenne is much more incredible.
The efforts of the cyclists are just a small piece of the massive puzzle we are putting together on this trip. Ride4Gabe has been used to raise awareness and the results are becoming very evident. I am blessed to be a part of this journey, a part of this crew, and a part of the fight to end Duchenne.
Pikes Peak is nearer than it is far, and when we reach the goal we will return home. This ride will stop at the end, Duchenne does not. It is our goal to END DUCHENNE.
Please consider giving $15 a mile to help the Hope for Gabe Foundation continue fighting to beat Duchenne. BONUS: Your donation to the Hope for Gabe Foundation is tax-deductible. (Please consult a financial advisor for specific details.)
If you would like to follow Ride4Gabe's journey to Colorado, you can find them on Facebook. The cyclists will be live-streaming Ride4Gabe IV on Facebook. Your comments or questions across all social media posts will keep them charged for the final push to the summit. Thank you Michael, Brian, and Demetrious for letting me be a part of your crew. Roll on! –– Stephen
DONATE GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ride4gabe-iv
Facebook Fundraiser (*no fees): https://www.facebook.com/fund/HopeforGabe/
FOLLOW Facebook: www.facebook.com/ride4gabe Instagram: www.instagram.com/ride4gabe Our Route – www.ride4gabe.com
