C3Life.com Forum Moderator Finishes Midwest Get Your Guts in Gear Ride
Former Stoma Care Nurse braves hills, wind, rain, and cold in Illinois and Wisconsin, and blogs about his experiences along the way
Libertyville, IL (PRWEB) November 11, 2009 -- C3Life.com℠, a community website for people with ostomies, their caregivers, and loved ones supported Get Your Guts in Gear, Inc.’s inaugural Midwest bicycle ride which took place October 2-4, 2009. Former Stoma Care Nurse Paris Purnell, moderator of the ostomy website’s discussion forum, was one of several first-time participants in the three-day, 210-mile ride, and blogged about his experiences before, during, and after the event.
Get Your Guts in Gear (GYGIG) seeks to empower the ostomy, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis communities while raising money for nonprofit organizations that support patients and educate the public about inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, the collective term for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease). IBD affects at least 1.4 million people in the United States.
The Midwest GYGIG Ride kicked off in the early hours of Friday, October 2 with an opening ceremony at the headquarters of Hollister Incorporated, a leading manufacturer of ostomy products, located in Libertyville, Illinois. From there, Purnell and 32 other riders wound their way through the farmlands of northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Rain, wind, hills, and chilly temperatures made every mile a challenge.
“If I never live to see another hill, it will be too soon,” blogged Purnell. “But the GYGIG crew was amazing. They kept checking to see if we needed assistance and cheered us into camp at night.” The terrain and weather were better on the second day, as the riders passed through several picturesque Wisconsin towns. On the third day, they headed back to Libertyville for a closing ceremony and congratulatory barbecue at Adler Park.
“This ride made me realize the strength of the human spirit,” said Purnell. “Some of the people I rode with had ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, and some were cancer survivors. Some had ostomies and some didn’t. It’s incredible to see how people do not let these illnesses define them. They show us how valuable life really is.”
Jay Pacitti, one of the founders of Get Your Guts in Gear, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 1999. “I’m so proud of Paris and all the riders and crew members,” said Pacitti. “They cared about the cause enough to support each other and pedal all those miles. Once again, our participants created an amazing community and made the ride a huge success.”
Since 2004, GYGIG participants have raised over $1.25 million to help fund IBD advocacy, research, awareness, and empowerment projects throughout the United States.
http://www.C3Life.com
http://www.IBDride.org
Get Your Guts in Gear, Inc. is a charitable organization created to raise awareness about Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It raises funds for like-minded charities that support research, education, and patients who are living with inflammatory bowel disease or ostomies. Its mission also includes empowering individuals through participation in large-scale athletic events in a supportive, community atmosphere.
C3Life.com is a website dedicated to helping people with ostomies live their lives to the fullest. It features information on lifestyle topics, stoma-related issues, products, news, events, and conditions like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. Members can pose ostomy-related lifestyle and product questions to a panel of clinicians, share their thoughts within an interactive forum, and submit personal stories, photos and videos. C3Life.com is supported by Hollister Incorporated.
© 2009 Hollister Incorporated.
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