Four bicyclists are due to make a stop today in Durango on their cross-country ride to raise funds for a friend who has Parkinson’s disease.
They will be greeted and housed for the night by members of a local Parkinson’s support group and then spend Tuesday on social activities while resting before their departure Wednesday.
The riders are Kevin Cartin, Tom Casey, Rick Baker and Kathleen Donohue. The men are high school friends of Davis Phinney, 54, who has Parkinson’s. Donohue is Cartin’s wife.
Phinney, who lives in Boulder, is well known as the first American to win a stage in the Tour de France. Phinney, a member of the 7-Eleven Cycling Team in the 1980s and early 1990s, won a bronze medal in the Olympics and is the American with the most bicycle-race victories, 328.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about 13 years ago and since works through the Davis Phinney Foundation to improve the lot of people with the disease.
The foundation sponsors programs and inspires people with Parkinson’s to live well despite their challenges.
Parkinson’s is a brain disorder that causes tremors and creates limb coordination and halting speech. It can be treated with medication and in some cases, minimally invasive brain-stimulation surgery. An estimated 10 million people worldwide live with Parkinson’s.
The cross-country ride will take the four friends from Oceanside, Calif., to New York City, a total of 3,273 miles. The route includes Blythe, Calif., Flagstaff, Ariz., Durango, Boulder, Lincoln, Neb., Bowling Green, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pa.
The day off in Durango will be the first since the team left California on July 20. They’re due in New York City on Aug. 30.
Team members will be selling cycling jerseys and soliciting donations to the Davis Phinney Foundation. The foundation website is www.davisphinneyfoundation.org.
Cheryle Brandsma, who has Parkinson’s, is coordinating the group’s activities in Durango.
The riders are expected in Durango about 4 p.m. today. A reception is awaiting at the Chamber of Commerce.
At 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, the team will do a live interview on radio station KDUR. Bike shops have offered to make adjustments to the bicycles. The visitors also will get massages and visit Trimble Hot Springs. Kachina Kitchen will provide a free meal.
The Parkinson’s Support Group in Durango meets from 11 a.m. to noon the third Wednesday of the month at the First Methodist Church, 2917 Aspen Ave.
daler@durangoherald.com
