Contact:
Willow Ann Sirch
Communciations Director
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
(203) 772-0522 x23
willow.sirch@holeinthewallgang.org
Fourth Annual Camp Challenge Ride to Take Place September 8
Cycling event starts and ends at Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
NEW HAVEN, CONN., SEP 6, 2012 – The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp announced that its fourth annual Camp Challenge Ride will take place on Saturday, September 8 at the Camp for seriously ill children founded by Paul Newman 25 years ago. More than 350 cyclists are expected to participate. Four separate ride options are offered: a 62.5-mile Metric Century, 15- and 30-mile rides for adults and teens aged 14 and up that start and end at the Camp in Ashford, Conn, and a Kid’s Ride for ages 4 and up that will take place entirely at the Camp.
The Camp Challenge Ride raises money to send seriously ill children to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp where they can experience “a different kind of healing” and supports the Camp’s year-round programming, including its Hospital Outreach Program that brings the joy of Camp to seriously ill children in hospitals across the Northeast. All of the Camp’s services are free of charge – thanks to Camp’s generous donors and fundraising events like the Camp Challenge Ride.
“It’s clear that each cyclist has a personal and powerful story behind their participation,” said David MacNiven, director of Team Hole in the Wall. “Some enjoy riding in support of a loved one, others in honor of friends they’ve lost to serious illness, and still others for the joy of supporting our courageous campers.
Riders will receive full support throughout the route by SAG vehicles, a motorcycle support team, mobile bike-tech specialists, rest stops and hundreds of additional volunteers. The ride will conclude with a festival of music, food and entertainment and is a rare opportunity for cyclists and their guests to visit the Camp and participate in Camp activities and tours. Camp Challenge Ride sponsors include AETNA, The Simon Konover Company, Poland Spring and NBC Connecticut Partners in a Caring Community.
This Camp Challenge Ride will be unique in serving as the backdrop for the filming of a one-of-a-kind Team Hole in the Wall PSA in celebration of the Camp’s 25th anniversary. Reporters are invited to watch the behind-the-scenes filming at the Camp in Ashford, Conn. during the Camp Challenge Ride and to interview participants. Contact Director of Communications Willow Ann Sirch for more information.
The Camp Challenge Ride supporting The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is part of a national cycling series with additional rides taking place simultaneously at four other SeriousFun Camps – Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis, Florida; Double H Ranch in Lake Luzerne, New York; The Painted Turtle in Lake Hughes, California; Camp Korey; and Victory Junction in Randleman, North Carolina.
About The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
Founded in 1988 by Paul Newman, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is a community dedicated to providing “a different kind of healing” to children and their families coping with cancer, sickle cell anemia and other serious illnesses. Through summer sessions and family weekend programs at the Camp in Ashford, Connecticut, and year-round outreach to hospitals and clinics throughout the Northeast, the Camp serves more than 20,000 children and family members annually. All services are free of charge.
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