Spokesman rides again
SLIPPERY ROCK — Last summer, Brian McCandless rode his bicycle to Florida and back, raising $14,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation along the way.
McCandless, a Slippery Rock University sophomore who was diagnosed early in life with the hereditary disease, will resume his fundraising campaign June 12 with a round-trip ride to Maine.
"I think this could be a powerful thing," said McCandless, who hopes to raise $28,000 for the foundation this summer. He'll be helped by friends and family members who will follow him in a van, as well as his girlfriend, Emily DiMatteo, who plans to ride with him.
After helping out for part of the trip last year, she decided to train with McCandless so she would be ready for the entire trip this year.
"Brian is such a positive person,' she said.
"He helped me build up to what I accomplished last year."
Despite the problems with his health and the overwhelming job of planning such a cycling trip, McCandless keeps that positive attitude, she said.
"He's a very determined person."
Cystic fibrosis affects the digestive and respiratory systems, often causing breathing trouble, difficulty gaining weight and a shorter life expectancy overall."I want to show (others with the disease) that since I'm healthy, they can be healthy too," McCandless said.At SRU, McCandless teaches cycle aerobics and is a member of the SRU Cycling Club and Outdoor Adventures program. He teaches rock climbing at the Robert N. Aebersold Student Recreation Center and works at the facility's welcome center.He trains on his bicycle year-round and recently took up riding the unicycle. In the past few weeks, he's visited elementary schools in the area to showcase his new skill.McCandless said he has always enjoyed talking with younger people about his disease. Every time he has to visit Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh for a checkup, he is asked by doctors to visit families and kids there to offer encouragement.Brian's Ride '08 will begin at SRU, and McCandless will cycle through Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire before reaching Augusta on June 22. His return trip will take him through New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey, before a July 12 celebration.McCandless said he has mapped out cities that are about 100 miles apart for each day's trip. He plans to stay overnight in hotels and churches when possible.
Getting local churches and other organizations involved in his cause is one of his goals for this trip. Sometimes it's easier to spread the word when local chapters of bike clubs or churches become involved, he said.DiMatteo said it's always fun meeting people and spreading the word about cystic fibrosis."I think it's just awesome," she said of the trip. "We're raising money because a cure hasn't been found."Much of the money raised by McCandless will be used for research to find that cure, according to DiMatteo.His monetary donations are only a small part of his overall contribution to the cause, according to Mary Pat Joseph, executive director of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Joseph has asked McCandless to meet with individual families as well as speak to large groups of people about his efforts, she said. He shows that attitude, nutrition and fitness are all important tools in fighting the effects of cystic fibrosis, she added."The awareness raising he does helps as much as the dollars do," Joseph said.Those who would like to contribute may send checks to Brian's Ride, 106 Gallagher Road, West Sunbury, PA 16061 or go to www.briansride.org and click the donate button.
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