Tour de Cure coming to the Ocean State

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On June 5, hundreds of bicycle riders will take part in the 25th Tour de Cure, a one-day event for the American Diabetes Association.

Beginning and ending at the School of Pharmacy on the University of Rhode Island (URI) campus, the Tour offers five routes from seven miles to 100 miles with a staggered start. It is not a race, but rather a fun tour that will take many of the routes by the ocean and the beautiful landscapes of South County as well as offering rest stops at popular location such as Aunt Carrie’s. The event is held rain or shine.

Cranston resident Kathie Mulkerin serves as this year’s event co-chair, a position she has held for the past four years. An avid cyclist, Mulkerin, now retired, has been riding charity races and runs for several decades.

“The best part of the day for me is the camaraderie of hundreds of people coming together for one purpose. Each one has been affected in some way by diabetes. That day we say we know, and we stand up, and we will make a difference,” she said.

The Tour de Cure celebrates and honors loved ones with diabetes. All participants are required to pay the low registration fee and raise a minimum of $200. Last year’s Tour de Cure raised approximately $300,000 for research, advocacy, and education.

Diabetes is growing at an epidemic rate in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes and face its devastating consequences. What’s true nationwide is also true in Rhode Island, where approximately 106,210 people – or 11.5 percent of the population – have diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Foundation, 294,000 people in Rhode Island – 36.4 percent of the adult population – have pre-diabetes, with blood glucose levels higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

“June 5 is all about the riders, many of whom have raised over the minimum and spend a good part of the day on the road pedaling away because they care about putting an end to diabetes. They are why all of us come together,” Mulkerin said.

Putting an event together such as Tour de Cure takes a lot of planning, from routes for all ages and all levels to the after party.

“Our volunteers are the heartbeat of our tour, whether they are at URI checking in riders, serving lunch or cheering on the riders, on the road helping with flat tires, or at a rest stop making PBJ sandwiches and mixing jugs of Gatorade. And that’s only a sampling of what goes on,” Mulkerin said. “It would be impossible to host an event of this magnitude without our volunteers. We need over 150 volunteers, and I would encourage anyone reading this article to check out our web page to see how you can make a difference.”

Volunteers are also needed for set up on Saturday.

“This event requires many hours of planning as one would expect. I would like to especially thank my co-chair Yanni Saratsis and our planning committee,” Mulkerin said. “They are the backbone of making the day happen, whether it’s rider registration, creating safe routes, organizing rest stops, coordinating with bike shops, providing a fun festive atmosphere with a catered lunch, a band, dedicated tents for our champions, Red Riders, top fundraisers, and more.”

An education tent will also be set up to further advocacy and education on diabetes, along with a barbecue food tent and a performance by Pop Rocks at the end of the race, which should be completed no later than 3 p.m. Currently, there are 623 teams already signed up and gathering donations.

To sign up to ride or volunteer, visit diabetes.org/oceanstate or contact Jennifer Kennedy, manager of development for the American Diabetes Association, at jkennedy@diabetes.org.

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