Howdy everyone,

I’m excited to announce that Coast to Coast for Hope’s 2009 campaign has officially launched.  This year’s team will be riding in support of the Zachary DeRidder Foundation and their "ZHOPE Coast to Coast Ride".  The team will be working to grow a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation and a handful of other charities. 

Zach DeRidder’s battle against liver cancer is an inspiring story and the 2009 team is wholly dedicated to the cause Zach sought to advance.  We’ve setup the 2009 team’s fundraising page and are in the planning stages for the 2009 Ride.  Check back soon for more updates on the 2009 team’s campaign and for information on how you can help the team hit the road.

- Brian

Click here to read more about the Zachary DeRidder Foundation

An update on the Coast to Coast for Hope 2007 Team’s fundraising:

The $12,000.00 (wow!) that the team raised for the struggle against cancer is currently at work helping folks in Vermont and Northern New York State.  The team wanted to give back to the community where they had spent time as undergraduates (at Champlain College and the University of Vermont), so the Vermont Cancer Center was a great match. 

Specifically, the donation was made to the Vermont Cancer Center’s Research and Education Fund.  This fund will be used to address the most urgent needs at the Center. 

Congratulations once again to the 2007 team for all that they accomplished.  It’s good to see that their ride, which reached out to so many communities across the country, was able to make a significant local impact back in the area where they first organized their trip. 

Thanks for checking out our new blog. We’ve made a switch to this format while we expand the coasttocoastforhope.org informational website. The blog will also make it easier to check in on the progress of the 2007 ride and fundraising campaign.

Speaking of the campaign… Kurtis, Hayden, Bryce, Henry and Tristan have officially kicked-off their fundraising efforts and are taking spring training rides in beautiful Vermont. They are rapidly approaching their college graduation (congratulations!) and will be sending out quite a few fundraising letters to family and friends as they finish up their classwork.

We had a great meeting up in Burlington two weeks ago where we keyed in on some potential routes, reviewed specific gear options and discussed fundraising techniques. I can confidently report that the 2007 team is solid. Their pooled knowledge of bicycles, camping, nutrition, and geography will certainly help them on their ride.

These young athletes embody our organization’s philosophy: We believe that monumental challenges inspire hope. As they take their first steps toward the monumental challenges ahead of them, they are stepping up their fundraising efforts in the fight against cancer. Please take some time to explore the blog and learn more about these efforts as well as the extraordinary individuals behind them.

The struggle against cancer and a cross-country bicycle ride can both be long and life-changing journeys. But it’s no coincidence that we ride for cancer; the struggle against cancer inspires us all to reach further.