Last year I rode in my 6th Ride to Cure Diabetes.  The 2009 ride started in Louisburg, KS.  Previous locations included Whitefish, MT ( Near Glacier National Park ), Asheville, NC and Death Valley, CA.  I ride in honor of my friend Tom Henry. Tom is one of the reasons I continue to put so much time and effort towards JDRF. Tom was diagnosed about the time my wife Roxann and I became involved with JDRF through Hy-Vee’s participation in the walk. Tom has lived with the challenge of diabetes most of his life. Tom and I rode together in the Ride to Cure Diabetes in 2007 and I hope he will be able to join me in a future Ride to Cure.  On the ride I will wear a bracelet that reads “Riding for Tom Diagnosed 10-27-99 Cured:____“ This was a gift from Tom and his family. What drives me to keep up this effort is their true belief that they will be able to fill in that blank with a date of Tom’s cure, and that donations to JDRF are driving the most promising research to that end.

Learn more about our ride team and the Ride to Cure Diabetes at http://ridetocure.home.mchsi.com

Your donation can help bring us closer to a cure, and will have an immediate impact on young people I know personally. JDRF is helping to fund research at the University of Iowa on continuous glucose monitoring, an important step in achieving an artificial pancreas. The ability to keep constant track of their blood sugar will greatly improve their quality of life and reduce the risk of the many dreaded complications of Type 1 diabetes. The University of Iowa is one of seven sites nationally participating in the $8 million study, which is financed by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Your donations make this continued effort possible so please donate online today at

http://ride.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=rideCentral.personalpage&riderID;=9589

Thank You,

Tim Martinek