Tag Archives: fundraising

2014 “Honor Ride” Raises Over $10K

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2014 Honor Ride group photo

Group Photo at Stewart Air Force Base

On August 24th, I joined over 120 cyclists from eight different states in a 50-mile fundraising “Honor Ride” for Ride 2 Recovery, an organization that gets veterans into cycling and provides training and specially adapted equipment to aid in their recovery.

We set out from Veteran’s Park in Maybrook with dozens of red, white, and blue jerseys among the usual road-safe yellows and greens. At every major intersection, scary-looking guys from the Orange County chapter of the Defiant Crew roared up on Harley Davidsons and turned them sideways to block traffic, then cheered us on as we streamed past. After a rest stop in Gardiner at mile 25, our escorts bunched the group so we could ride into our next stop, Stewart Air Force Base, as a unit, weaving through barricades, road spikes, and gateposts. As we assembled for a group photo under the flags, a veteran asked me to turn off the flashing safety light on my bike because it could trigger a seizure in someone who has had a traumatic brain injury; a poignant reminder that not every veteran has visible wounds.

The Honor Ride is not supposed to be a race, but road cyclists are a competitive bunch. On the last leg, this spirit was unleashed, and the leaders were soon well ahead of the escorts. I pushed to stay on their heels as a personal tribute. As I attacked the long hill back into Maybrook, the burning in my lungs and muscles was a visceral reminder of how hard injured veterans have to push every day in rehabilitation to restore something even close to a normal life.

Prof. Anne Balant

Prof. B on a bike? No way!

We crossed the finish line accompanied by the ringing of cowbells and the grins of young volunteers. As we demolished a buffet lunch, we heard inspiring remarks from a number of individuals. Veteran Matt Dewitt, an accomplished cyclist and racer, showed us how it is possible to steer, shift and brake an adapted bicycle using his prostheses. The Defiant Crew posed for photos with some of the cyclists and announced that they were donating what they would have been paid for their time. Overall, we raised more than $10,000 that day.

The Honor Ride will be back in Maybrook again sometime next year. Hope to see you there!

– Written by Anne Balant, SUNY New Paltz Communication Disorders Department

Matt DeWitt - Vet Rider

Veteran Matt DeWitt demonstrates his adapted bicycle

  invisible words to push this down so it isn’t broken up by the photos – don’t know hows!

Ride 2 Recovery is a non-profit organization that assists injured military members, veterans, and first responders in their physical and mental rehabilitation through cycling. To donate or become involved, visit their web site: www.ride2recovery.com

April is Autism Awareness Month

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April is Autism Awareness month, and it is Autism Awareness Week here on campus. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development, which are characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 out of 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls are diagnosed with autism, in varying degrees, in the United States.

The SUNY New Paltz chapter of Autism Speaks U will be hosting a series of events aimed at raising autism awareness and raising funds for Autism Speaks. Be sure to visit their table outside of SUB100 this week; bracelets, pins, water bottles, and raffle tickets will be on sale. Blue hair extensions and henna tattoos are also available.

On Friday, April 4, eat a meal at P&Gs on Main Street and 15% of the bill will go to Autism Speaks U; you must present the coupon, which can be printed from the chapter’s Facebook group page:

facebook.com/groups/autismspeaksusunynewpaltz

In addition to this week’s events, there will be a parent panel on Thursday, April 24 at 6:30pm in CSB Auditorium. Parents on the panel will share their experiences in helping their child navigate the public education system and answer audience questions.

About Autism Speaks U

Autism Speaks U is a program designed to support college students in their awareness, advocacy and fundraising efforts for Autism Speaks. Since its inaugural event at Penn State in 2006, Autism Speaks U events have raised over $1 million and student-organized Walk teams have brought in millions more.

The Autism Speaks U SUNY New Paltz chapter was founded by Danielle Franke in November 2011. She says: “I decided to start this chapter on our campus because of my past work with children on the spectrum. Our chapter has raised much-needed awareness of autism, and we have been successful at raising money for Autism Speaks and for individuals on the spectrum; we raised money for a child to receive a therapy dog.”

Visit the Autism Speaks U table outside SUB100 to learn more about autism, Autism Speaks, and to support the efforts of this “true blue” campus group!

Student Organization Teams with P&G’s on March 12 to Support Augmentative and Alternative Communication

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Are you planning lunch or dinner out soon? The SUNY New Paltz chapter of the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA) is teaming up with P&G’s on Main Street in New Paltz on Wednesday, March 12 to raise money for the AAC Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting effective communication for people who rely on augmentative and alternative communication.

P and G_sFundraiserflier

Print the coupon image above, present it after your meal on March 12, and P&G’s will donate 20% of the bill to the AAC Institute. Printed coupons are also available in the Communication Disorders department in HUM 14A.

Each semester the SUNY New Paltz chapter of NSSLHA devotes time and energy to raising awareness about a specific area within the field of Communication Disorders, and to raising money for a non-profit specializing in that area. When asked why they chose Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), Caitlin Ward of the NSSLHA chapter had this to say:

“Our chapter chose to focus on Alternative and Augmentative Communication as the theme of the semester, because AAC is a rapidly developing area in our field, but it’s not something that we as undergraduates have much exposure to. We chose to help fundraise for the AAC Institute because their organization provides SLPs and AAC users & families of users with a number of great resources. They offer SLPs online CEU’s at no charge, and their website features a parent support group and blogs by AAC users. We hoped that by selecting AAC and the AAC Institute, the members of our NSSLHA chapter would have the opportunity to gain some familiarity with AAC. One of the NSSLHA mission statements is to help provide resources to prepare students to become professionals, and we feel that this theme and the events for it throughout the semester will be an invaluable resource for those involved.”

For more information:
http://www.aacinstitute.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmentative_and_alternative_communication