By
JENNIFER NESBITT
It affects nearly 1 million people across Ohio, and much work remains in the effort to raise awareness and money to fight diabetes in the Buckeye state.
The American Diabetes Association’s 2012 Tour de Cure, a bicycling event, will begin at 6 a.m. June 9 at Westerville Central High School.
“Every 17 seconds, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with diabetes,” said Tisha Reynolds, the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure coordinator. “There are also thousands of people living with diabetes who don’t know they have the disease.”
Nearly 840,000 Ohioans have been diagnosed with diabetes, Reynolds said, and 300,000 to 400,000 Ohioans are estimated to be living with the disease without realizing it.
“(With the tour), we’re trying to raise money for advocacy information, research and education for people that have diabetes,” Reynolds said.
The 2012 Tour de Cure includes 30-, 60- and 100-mile bike rides, as well as a 12-mile family-fun ride. The longer rides are more difficult, allowing all levels of riders to participate, said Frank Bibens, Emerson Network Power president and chairman of the Tour de Cure.
“There are rides for all levels of people, and so 100 miles goes through Knox, Delaware, Coshocton counties. … It’s for the more experienced riders who are willing to put some training in and go through the nice countryside,” Bibens said. “The family-fun ride is something for all to enjoy. It goes along the bike path along Hoover Dam.”
The start time for the rides are staggered so all riders could finish the tour at about the same time at Central, Bibens said. The rides will be followed by a large celebration with food, entertainment and activities for children.
Last year’s tour included 467 riders and raised a little more than $190,000, Bibens said. The goal for this year is to attract 550 riders and raise $220,000.
The tour already has registered 450 riders, Bibens said.
Riders must pay a $25 registration fee and must commit to raising at least $150 more.
Bibens said the tour also is in need of more volunteers for the event day.
“There’s room for more (riders), and there’s room for volunteers as well,” Bibens said. “Certainly, we’ll take more.”
Bibens said he believes the tour continues to be a success and continues to attract so many riders because diabetes touches so many people’s lives, with 8.3 percent of the American population having been diagnosed with the disease.
“It touches everyone — family and friends,” Bibens said. “It’s really, in my opinion, at an epidemic level.”
For more information on the Tour de Cure, visit tour.diabetes.org and search for the central Ohio tour.
