AMBUCS, a nonprofit organization specializing in providing mobility solutions for children and adults with disabilities with transportation options, will be giving away 100 trikes to children and veterans on Saturday morning in downtown Oklahoma City. These bikes called AmTryke’s come available with hand and/or foot cranks to meet the requirements of the riders. There will be several other events for children and veterans held throughout the day:
AMBUCS will donate about 100 bikes to children and veterans Saturday morning in downtown Oklahoma City during its AmTryke Celebration Day.There also will be biking-related events during the day.
Trek for Trykes will be at 8 a.m. A veterans ride begins at 9 a.m. and the AmTryke Rodeo at 10 a.m.The AmTryke therapeutic tricycles are designed for people who are unable to operate traditional bikes because of disabilities.
All events will begin at the Cox Convention Center at 1 Myriad Gardens.
Many of you have expressed upset, if not downright dismay, at the lack of head shaving from me this year. While I really enjoyed the St. Baldrick’s Day event, this year I am serving on the organizing committee for the Tour de Cure ride in Mustang, Oklahoma. This ride raises critical funding for diabetes research for the American Diabetes Association. As of 2010, over 10% of Oklahoman’s have been diagnosed with some form of diabetes and many more remain undiagnosed. This far outstrips the national average and it one of the most critical health issues facing our state. So, to do my part, I am going to be riding the 62 mile distance on June 23rd in Mustang, OK.
Well, I can already hear the taunts, “You do that distance on your days off, for fun! There’s no torture or humiliation in that. Why do you think I gave you money to get your head shaved, for charity? No, I gave it to you to see you humiliated and in pain.”
OK, I get that. If that’s not enough pain, suffering and silliness for you, I’ll give you a bonus. Starting on June 3rd, I will be taking a two-week bicycle journey across Oklahoma. For the first week I will be carrying all of my gear, food and water as I do a self-contained ride down to Frederick, OK, near the Texas border. At Frederick, OK, I will join up with 800 other crazy people for Oklahoma Freewheel which will take me to South Haven, KS six days later. Here is a rough map of my route. With the 70 mile training ride I am leading the day before I leave town and the official Tour de Cure ride the week after I get back, it works out to over 800 miles in only three weeks. So, if it’s torture you want, just think of me out there in the Oklahoma wilderness dragging my sorry self through the heat, humidity and hills. See sample illustration below:
And if it is general humiliation you are looking for, I promise to look as silly as these guys throughout the entire trip:
In all seriousness, this is a great cause and if you can, it would mean a lot to me and to many Oklahoman’s if you could donate. You can donate to my ride directly at http://main.diabetes.org/goto/NathanLorenz. Any contribution will be greatly appreciated.
I don’t often put out fundraising pleas to this blog, but this is a cause worthy of all the attention I can muster. As fellow Oklahomans, you know all to well the severe impact that diabetes is having on our community. As of 2010, more than 10% of the Oklahoma population had been diagnosed with some form of diabetes, far greater than the national average. That doesn’t even begin to count the large numbers people who have the disease but remain undiagnosed. Diabetes is, without a doubt, one of the largest health problems affecting our state.
Therefore, I, along with many other riders, will be participating in this year’s Tour de Cure in Mustang. This group ride raises critical funds for the American Diabetes Association. I will be participating in the 62 mile ride and while that distance is enough to greatly impress my non-cyclist friends, I know my cycling friends are a tougher crowd. So this year, I am throwing in my first self-contained bicycle tour in many, many years along with my participation in this year’s Oklahoma Freewheel as mileage in support of this cause (here is a rough map). This along with a training ride I am leading and the Tour de Cure ride will work out to more than 800 miles in three weeks in the name of stopping this disease.
I wanted to make sure to send out a great big thank you to all those who sponsored me for this year’s St. Baldrick’s Day event. Together we raised over $1100 dollars for this great cause. It was also wonderful to see many of you at the event. However, for all those who didn’t brave the chilly weather, here is a video of my shaving:
Admittedly, this has nothing even remotely to do with cycling so I hope you’ll forgive the change in subject matter. In any case, this Sunday, March 27th, at between 2 and 4 PM at VZD’s (4200 N. Western), I will be getting my head shaved in support of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. This is my second year to participate in this event which raises money for much needed grants for childhood cancer research and I’m gladly taking up their challenge to shave my head not only in solidarity with childhood cancer patients but to also help raise money for this wonderful cause.
I know that this is a hard year for looking for charity donations. Between tough economic times and a year where your donation dollars are needed in so many places such as for the Japan Earthquake relief. However, If you can help at all, please visit my donation page at: http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/RW. You can also donate by calling 888-899-BALD (2253) and donate under participant #454268. Finally, you can download a donation form at: http://www.stbaldricks.org/file/get/f/91ac86c3-2402-43bd-8a55-820e2ab1b958 that you can mail in. Please consider donating if you can. Even one dollar would provide much needed help for this critical research.
Whether donating or not, I would love to meet any of my readers, so if you want to join in a great party, please come out to VZD’s this Sunday. Thanks again for all of your generous support!
Spring is upon us! Every day the sun shines a bit longer, the flowers bloom a bit brighter, the grass turns a bit greener and the Grizzly Adams jokes get just a bit older. So like last year, I again take up the challenge to remove the fur for the wonderful St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation provides much needed grants for childhood cancer research and I’m gladly taking up their challenge to shave my head not only in solidarity with childhood cancer patients but to also help raise money for this wonderful cause.
Last year I was able to raise some $1400, let’s see if we can do at least that much this year! If you can help at all, please visit my donation page at: http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/RW. You can also donate by calling 888-899-BALD (2253) and donate under participant #454268. Finally, you can download a donation form at: http://www.stbaldricks.org/file/get/f/91ac86c3-2402-43bd-8a55-820e2ab1b958 that you can mail in or hand to me personally. Please consider donating if you can. Even one dollar would provide much needed help for this critical research.
The actual head shaving will take place on March 27th between 2:00 – 4:00 PM at VZD’s (4200 N. Western). If you want to join in a great party, please come along. Thanks again for all of your generous support!
Here’s a nice story about a college student who spent the summer crossing the country on a bicycle and helped in the building of houses along the way:
She hadn’t spent much time on a bicycle, but when Oklahoma Bible Academy graduate Kathryn Vculek heard about Bike and Build, she just had to join the mission.
Bike and Build is an organization that recruits team members to pedal across the nation, building affordable housing along the way.
There comes a time in every man’s life when he is asked to shave his head for a good cause. While some might hesitate from such a challenge, a proud few refuse to shirk from the cause. Inspired by my friend Dustin, this year, at 2:00 PM on March 28th at VZD’s, I will be shaving my head in support of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. That’s right, all fur must go! St. Baldrick’s helps raise funds for childhood cancer research, certainly a noble cause. If you can help, please consider donating to this organization at my sponsorship page: https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/nlorenz. Even one dollar would provide much-needed help to this critical research.
Also, I would like to invite all of my friends to come join me to see the mop get killed. Thanks to all those who can help!
AMBUCS, a nonprofit organization specializing in providing mobility solutions for children and adults with disabilities with transportation options, will be giving away 100 trikes to children and veterans on Saturday morning in downtown Oklahoma City. These bikes called AmTryke’s come available with hand and/or foot cranks to meet the requirements of the riders. There will be several other events for children and veterans held throughout the day:
