Thank you for visiting my fundraising page!

I've updated my page to change the fundraising goal. Turns out $1500 was way to easy.

I also want to let people know that they can check on my training progress at:

http://bartsride.blogspot.com/

Hello. I'm Bart Rupel, the father or a 17 year old yong man with Friedreich's Ataxia, or FA.

My son was diagnosed with FA 4 years ago. For the last 3 years I have helped run or have been the organizer of two annual fundraiser's for FA.

SOFA, Sunset on Friedreich's Ataxia, and FAITH, Friedreich's Ataxia in the Heart. See http://www.sunsetonfa.org/ and http://www.fa-ith.org/ to learn more about these events. You can read about our family's experience in the articles posted on the FAITH site.

After a 4 year run, SOFA has ended. SOFA had great success, raising approximately $200,000 for FA research.

FAITH has been very successful as well, raising approximately $80,000 for research in its first 2 years. FAITH 3 is in the planning stages and will occur on May 31, 2008.

But, that's not what this is about. Last year a young man with FA decided to raise awareness and research dollars by riding his recumbant bike from the Scripps Insitute near San Diego, CA to the annual National Ataxia Foundation conference in Memphis, TN. He chose Scripps because of the exciting FA research that is going on there and Memphis because that's where the ataxia community would be. It's about 2400 miles, think Tour de France and add 600 miles. Two thousand four hundred miles, on a bike, with a neuromuscular disease, that causes fatigue, and severe heart disease...

...did I mention that he has a bad knee, makes it painful to pedal...

Lance who? I'm talking about Kyle Bryant. Not only did Kyle make it to Memphis, he raised $40,000 and a bit of publicity.

Well, Kyle is at it again. This time the national conference is in Las Vegas. Kyle is planning a 600 mile 2 week ride from his home town of Sacramento, CA to Las Vegas, NV. He's invited others to join him on the ride. Maybe with more people riding with him he can get more publicity and more $$$$ for research. Check out http://rideataxia.org/ be sure to read his blog as well.

FAITH is still going on, broken ankle pretty much healed, bum knee (just like Kyle), but no more SOFA, ...What the heck, I'll sleep when I'm dead.

I've signed up for half the ride, from Bakersfield to Vegas. I wish I could take more time off of work to do the whole ride. Luckily, I get to partake in the 4,000 foot climb from Bakersfield to Tehachapi, so I'm not missing out on the best part ;)

Anyhow, Kyle has asked each participant to raise $125 a day for the ride. For my 6 days that will be $750. Oh, lets double it and shoot for $1500.

All donations made through this site go directly to FARA and will be used to fund a joint research project by FARA and NAF.  FARA and NAF are both national, public, 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt organization, and all donations are fully tax-deductible.  Donating through this site is very simple, fast and totally secure. If, however, you would prefer to not donate through this site or directly through FARA's website, you may certainly also send a check made out to "FARA"  with "Bart Rupel - Ride Ataxia" written in the memo line. Checks should be sent to:

Thanks,

Bart Rupel