The 2010 Winter Ride for Diabetes

Crazy man Mike Cole rode across Canada last year to heighten awareness of Diabetes and to raise funds for Diabetes research and a cure.

He braved icy roads, blowing snow and minus 67 degree Celsius temperatures to accomplish the 2009 ride and he did that ride largely without sponsors or funding. (Click on the above link to view one of many videos from the 2009 ride)

This year, Michael is looking for assistance.

He needs sponsors and we are reaching out to the motorcycle community to find him that support.

Your help is needed to help stop the Diabetes Epidemic.

Here are some facts about Diabetes and the preliminary information on the 2010 ride:

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From the Canadian Diabetes Association: The personal costs of diabetes may include a reduced quality of life and the increased likelihood of complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, amputation and erectile dysfunction.

• Approximately 80% of people with diabetes will die as a result of heart disease or stroke.
• Diabetes is a contributing factor in the deaths of approximately 41,500 Canadians each year.
• Canadian adults with diabetes are twice as likely to die prematurely, compared to people without diabetes.
• Life expectancy for people with type 1 diabetes may be shortened by as much as 15 years. Life expectancy for people with type 2 diabetes may be shortened by 5 to 10 years.

The financial burden of diabetes and its complications is enormous.

• People with diabetes incur medical costs that are two to three times higher than those without diabetes. A person with diabetes can face direct costs for medication and supplies ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 a year.
• By 2010, it’s estimated that diabetes will cost the Canadian health care system $15.6 billion a year and that number will rise to $19.2 billion by 2020.

The Statistics:
An estimated 246 million people worldwide are affected by diabetes. With a further 7 million people developing diabetes each year, that number is expected to hit 380 million by 2025. (Canadian Diabetes Association: www.diabetes.ca)

Update from world clock:

- Today 15,840 people DIED from Diabetes, that's what has been reported.

- Today 31,680 people developed Diabetes. (11,563,200 a year - 5.2 million more than predicted)

- “Diabetes has increased 61% in the past 10 years and 76% among people in their 30’s. One in every three children now being born in the U.S. ultimately will become diabetic.” Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld.
 - 1.3 million new cases of Type 2 Diabetes were diagnosed last year alone – that’s 3,562 new cases diagnosed EVERY day!
-  24,000 people in the U.S. become blind each year due to diabetes – that’s 65 EVERY day!
 - 100,000 people require kidney dialysis or kidney transplantation each year due to diabetes – that’s 273 EVERY day!
- Each year 82,000 need to have a foot, leg or arm amputated due to diabetes – that’s 224 EVERY day! (The above statistics and information is from the US Center for Disease Control)

The Radical Roads Ride for Diabetes:

Tentative Schedule:

January 5TH St John's to Halifax Depart  I will ride to Gander then truck to Sydney NS  

Jan 6 - Arriving Halifax  Mid afternoon
Jan 7 - Halifax to Charlottetown PI VIA Confederation Bridge Mid afternoon
Jan 8 -  Charlottetown to Fredericton NB with a stop in Moncton
Jan 9 - Fredericton to Edmundston NB
Jan 10 - Edmundston to Montreal
Jan 11 - Montreal
Jan 12 - Montreal to Ottawa arrive Ottawa noon
Jan 13 - Ottawa
Jan 14 - Ottawa to Toronto lunch in Kingston
Jan 15/16 - Toronto
Jan 17 - Toronto to Windsor early afternoon ETA
Jan 18 -Windsor, London ( lunch ) Barrie
Jan 19 - Barrie to Sudbury ETA noon
Jan 20 - Sudbury to Sault Ste Marie ETA mid afternoon
Jan 21 - Sault Ste Marie to White River
Jan 22 - White River to Thunder bay
Jan 23 - Thunder Bay, Fort Frances, Nestor Falls
Jan 24 - Nestor Falls, Kenora Mid morning Winnipeg ETA late afternoon
Jan 25 - Winnipeg
Jan 26 - Winnipeg to Regina
Jan 27 - Regina to Medicine Hat
Jan 28 - Medicine Hat to Calgary ETA Calgary 1 pm
Jan 29 - Calgary Red Deer ( lunch ) Edmonton
Jan 30 - Edmonton
Jan 31 - Edmonton to Jasper
Feb 1 - Jasper to Kamloops
Feb 2 - Kamloops to Vancouver Stop in Langley ETA Vancouver late afternoon
Feb 3 - Vancouver
Feb 4 - Vancouver to Victoria ETA noon

The Radical Roads Motorcycle Ride across Canada in January will be filmed and our production crew will edit the video filmed daily and stream it on line.

A new video each night: 32 towns and cities.

The Radical Road Ride for Diabetes needs Sponsors:

Equipment Needed:

2 Support Trucks

1 Helmet Camera

1 Dash board camera for lead support truck

Heated Motorcycle Gear

Good & Services Needed:

Motels for a crew of 4: (Approximate cost: 74 room nights @ $120 = $8,800)

Meals for a crew of 4: (Approximate cost: 404 meals @ $15 = $6060)

Fuel for support vehicles and the motorcycle: (Approximate cost:

Cell & Internet Service:

Film Crew Expenses: (Approximate cost: 32 days x $300 = $9,600)

Marketing & Promotion: (Approximate Cost: $15,000)

Sponsorship & Recognition Opportunities:

Web Site

Print Ads

TV Ads

Radio Ads

Support Vehicles

8958 kms riding 15879 kms total in 37 days  (includes 5 days to get to Newfoundland with the crew and vehicles from Vancouver)

The Radical Road Ride for Diabetes is recognized by the Canadian Diabetes Association as a third party fundraiser and awareness campaign

To become a sponsor or for more information:
                 Michael Cole
                 michaeljcole2006@hotmail.com
                 Ph: (604) 574 7281
The purpose of this ride was and still is to educate the general public on the facts about diabetes and to raise funds to find a cure. Your life depends on it - this disease can be stopped.

If you are fortunate enough to be riding today, PLEASE - ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.


Belt Drive Betty
National VP
Alliance for Injured Motorcyclists
www.aim-can.com
www.beltdrivebetty.com

What a Wonderful way to spend a weekend!

This weekend I had the absolute pleasure of riding with some of the nicest people I know!
Mike Cole from the Winter Ride for Diabetes and his friend Mark from Vancouver joined Larry DeBolt (VP AIM-Can PCC), Terry Stauffer (Pres GP Toys 4 Tots), Lyle Volden (VP GP Toys 4 Tots) and Floyd Funk of Wembley and I as we headed to Peace River's Toy Run & Peace Fest with Videographers Mike Reeve and Tom from Velocity Video.

The skies were filled with ominous clouds and the severe weather warnings, Hawg Flatts, Horsetheif Hideout, Summer Slam and other events hurt the attendance from the GP side of things.

At Sexsmith we got wet - man did we get wet. The rain was coming down so hard you couldn't see 3 feet in front of you. The rain got into my glasses and was swirling around, bouncing of my eyeballs. It was wet! As fast as it started it was over and the rest of the ride was damp but otherwise decent.

We had a wonderful meet 'n' greet at the Sawridge Inns & Conference Centre. The finger foods and beverages were inhaled! Nicole Halvorson of Mighty Peace Tourism and Jill Cairns from the Peace River Riders Association visited with us. We drew for some Ride Prizes - a free night at the Sawridge -Lyle Volden came out the winner. Three tickets to Peace Fest were also won by Floyd Funk, Terry Stauffer and Larry DeBolt.

Saturday morning dawned and we headed over to the Pancake Breakfast at the Co-op and then over to the staging area for the Toy Run.

A number of riders from Fairview that wanted to attend the Dice Run but did not wish to be out in severe weather the night before joined us and in all 44 bikes headed off to participate in the Toy Run and later 15 would continue on for the balance of the Dice Run.

The MD of Peace River, the Berwyn Super A and the municipality of Berwyn provided water and sandwiches at the first stop Mackenzie Cairn, then we headed into Berwyn. The next stop was Grimshaw where the Visitor Centre provided dessert, cookies, fruit with dip and coffee. It was a fabulous treat!

When we got back in to Peace River for the final stop at Maximum Powersports, the winner of the pot was Terry Stauffer who donated all of the money back keeping o meager $60 for his fuel!
Chad from Maximum Powersports made the Ride Prize draw for the Dice Run after everyone rolled for the first time on Saturday - Rocky Neufeld won the beautiful jacket from Maximum.

Off to Grimshaw for fuel and to make our way to Hines Creek. In Grimshaw we drew for the Jaccuzi Room at the Clairmont Ramada and it was won by Ron LeBlanc.

In Hines Creek we stopped in to the Hines Creek End of Steel Museum and at the world's Largest Rail Road Spike. We drew two more prizes and rolled the dice again.
KC Betts from Peace River won the GPRC Rider Training Course Gift Certificate - she has a bike but no license so that was FABULOUS! Dan McCran from Fairview won the gift certificate from WalMart.

Once in Fairview we were served the most incredible BBQ by the owners of the Dunvegan Inn & Suites - Bert and Val. OH MY was that a feast! Sirloin Burgers with a huge array of fixings, brownies and Nanaimo bars, fruit, pop, coffee, water...mmmm

We rolled the dice for the final time and when everyone's scores were tallied, Mike Cole from Nestor Falls ON won the pot which he turned around and donated right back to our injured rider - Layton Park!

Kevin Chernak won the helmet from Stojan's for the worst roll and then we all sang Happy Birthday to him!

Mike Cole won the jacket from Northgate Honda when the first ticket was pulled and the ticket for the last draw belonged to Bill Antonello and his wife. They won the Jacuzzi Room with breakfast from the Stanford Inn.

What an fabulous weekend! It started out on rocky footing, but it ended with so much sunshine, happiness and gratitude.

All of the riders were thrilled with the hospitality and I for one had a ball. I rode with some of the best people I have ever ridden with!

This year's event was held to support the Peace River Toy Run, take in Peace Fest and so that the filming we were doing could showcase some of the fabulous events there are to attend here in the Peace.

I can't wait until next year when this ride, which is tentatively slated for July 17th next year so it doesn't conflict with Hawg Flatts or Horsethief will become the Official Ride for Dad in the Peace!

If you are riding today, Please - stay safe. Ride like everyone around you is blind, stay hydrated and use respect with that throttle hand!

Belt Drive Betty

A Winter Ride for Diabetes

Yes, I know this is Christmas day and I probably shouldn't be working, but I had to draw your attention to a crazy friend of mine and his Winter Ride for Diabetes.... www.ridefordiabetes.com

Here is what Mike is doing and why - taken from his web site....
My name is Mike ColeI am in the planning stages of Giving Diabetes a voice. I am forty six years of age. I became a "Type One" diabetic at the age of 8 going on 9. I have lived the ups and downs that come with being a diabetic. Living with diabetes for 38 years I have almost lost the fight a few times . I'm tired of fighting as so many others are . Together we can educate all those who we love and care of diabetes. Perhaps more structuring, resources and awareness could be available to diabetics and the public if we could possibly get more involvement of government funding. Many diabetics and public are not aware and don't know how bad and the side effects can be or what to expect. So I'm going to ride to each major city of each province which were named herein to raise the voice and ask for support for funding of the research and resource centers for educating diabetes. Each center I come into contact with during my ride I will be giving diabetes a voice.

On Jan 1st 2009 . Please note the date. This has never been done before.
I will start A cross county ride on my Harley Davidson 95 Softail, Commencing in St. Johns Newfoundland and will be completed in Victoria BC.
This isn't just for Canadians, It's for diabetics around the world. Its a huge risk but for me its worth taking . This ride will be over 7000 kms (4500 miles ) I'm looking at wind chills plummeting well below 60 celsius enduring ice, winds and snow covered roads. I hope complete the run within 3 weeks a lot will depend on the weather .I,ll be starting in St Johns NFLD onto Halifax , Charletown, Fredericton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto,Sudbury, Sault Ste Marie, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton, Kamloops, Vancouver and last but not least Victoria .
" My goal is a world voice for Diabetes."Mike

Help prod Mike on and help give Diabetes a Voice...

Email Mike at: mike@ridefordiabetes.com

It's a crazy venture, awful risky and yet...so is living with Diabetes.

Good on yah Mike....we'll be watching your progress.

Stay safe and Warm and have a WONDEROUS Christmas....

Belt Drive Betty