Until Next Year...

This illustration was designed by Michael, one of the cyclist, and it clearly depicts the 2009 RAA Team beautifully! Below are quotes from each RAA team member wrapping up our experience and putting our final thoughts down until next year! Speaking from the entire team, we are all looking forward to this journey next year!


"I knew what my expectations were in regards to planning and coordinating this 10-day, 1,000 mile bike tour, but I did not expect to develop a passion for the Rally Foundation," said RAA Team Leader Magan. "This experience has taught me that there is so much I can do in this world to help people who are in need! I cannot wait for RAA 2010, so we can gain more awareness and raise even more money for childhood cancer research!"


"Rally Across America gives you the opportunity to raise money for childhood cancer research, meet the kids and families affected by childhood cancer, and meet the doctors and researchers responsible for their treatment and future," said Claire Rally Kid Coordinator and support car driver. "It's more than a fundraiser or a cycling trip - it becomes a way of life, making you want to do everything you can to find a cure for childhood cancer."


"It was truly an honor...or the least I could do for such a great cause," said RAA cyclist Michael. " My favorite part of the entire experience was seeing the faces of the kids light up. I truly look up to the Rally Foundation for the great things they do, and the smiles they put on the faces of our future. I'm so grateful for being able to get involved with this amazing foundation!"


"This biking trip was a life changing experience, I was able to touch lives and meet beautiful people," said RAA cyclist Jai. "I thank God and pray that I will always be able to give myself to such worthy causes and assist where my help is needed. The support of the Rally Foundation, our team leaders and the families & friends we met was an essential component of this journey.I'm very thankful to have been a part of this worthy cause."

Rally On!

Magan, Claire, Michael & Jai

Outtakes for RAA 2009 Tour

Below are numerous images that are both random and somewhat amusing! The Team hopes you enjoy!

(We LOVE Chick-fil-A!)

(Good Luck was displayed to us in all shapes and forms.)

(Don't mess with us!)

(Wow, how many "Do Not Enter" signs does one intersection possibly need?)

(The infamous goody bag assembly line!)

(Our NY stop would not have been complete without this picture!)

(Old School GPS at its FINEST!)

(Helloooo Girls!)

(Wow!!)

(Priceless...)

(The closest we will get to seeing Michael and Jai in a dress!)

(Sounds like FUN, we are sad that we are going to miss it!)

(We were determined to bike 1,000 miles for childhood cancer research!)

Videos

Here are a few videos from our trip to check out!

Edra was excited about the RAA team coming to visit her!

Off the Road Again

In its first 3 years, the Rally Foundation has awarded $1 million in 39 research grants for childhood cancer research at 22 institutions across the country! We have partnered with several other childhood cancer non-profits in order to co-fund promising research, and one of these partners is the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. Rally and Alex's recently awarded a research grant to Dr. Miles at Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC, and the Rally Across America team had the opportunity to participate in a check presentation on Friday morning.


Here is the Rally Across America team presenting the check to Dr. Miles with Jay Scott, Alex's dad, from the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. Luckily, Jay brought the check with him because as you can see, we did not have any room in our car! (This was taken after we had gotten rid of a few things!)


We had a wonderful time talking to Dr. Miles and her colleagues, Dr. Newman and Dr. Sandler, over breakfast and were excited to learn more about their exciting research! Dr. Newman, a fellow cyclist, loaned us his DC area cycling route guide (circa 1980s), and he promised that he and Dr. Sandler would cycle with the RAA team next year! Dr. Sandler is not yet a cyclist, but that has never stopped anyone from joining Rally Across America!

We left goody bags for the kids being treated for cancer at DC Children's, and then we went to Georgetown University Hospital for our last hospital visit. The kids there loved the goody bags just as much as the kids at the other 5 hospitals that the team visited this year, and we look forward to visiting kids again next year!

Friday afternoon we loaded everyone and everything back into the car to drive to the last destination of our trip. The 5 hour drive from DC to Greensboro, NC actually took 7 1/2 hours due to rain and traffic, but the important thing is that we finally made it!


This morning we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast thanks to Claire's aunt and uncle, and then got back into the car one last time. We arrived back in Atlanta this afternoon very thankful for how well the trip went, how many new friends we made, and how much money we raised for childhood cancer research! Amazingly, we had no flat tires, no car trouble, no injuries, and we made it to all of our hospital visits and events on time! Actually, Jai had car trouble when we got back to Atlanta and found out his car battery was dead, but it was an easy fix and we weren't supposed to be back in Atlanta until tomorrow anyway.

Thank you for all of your support this year! Don't forget to check back for the "out takes" blog post...coming soon...and don't forget to order t-shirts from Claire@rallyfoundation.org!

Rally On!
Claire, Magan, Michael, and Jai

All Good Things Have to Come to an End

A change in plans found us finished with our DC events a day early, so we packed up the car and headed out of DC this afternoon. After driving in the rainy Friday afternoon DC traffic, we made it to Claire's aunt's house in Greensboro, NC to spend the night. We're looking forward to starting tomorrow morning with a hearty breakfast before drivng the rest of the way back to Atlanta.

We'll do a longer update tomorrow with pictures from today, and we also have an "out takes" blog planned with lots of pictures you haven't seen yet. So stay tuned for more final posts from the 2009 Rally Across America team, and be sure to email Claire@rallyfoundation.org to order some t-shirts!

Rally On!
Claire, Magan, Jai, and Michael

Simply DC: Our Brains are Fried

Today seemed like a blur… not sure if it was the 135 miles on the heated, rolling hills towards Washington, DC or the unpacking and unloading of the car for the fourth time this week or getting locked outside of our host home? We feel like we are literally moving into a new place on a daily basis, but just can’t seem to make up our minds of where to permanently reside.



Needless to say, today was filled with oceanic scenery, sail boats and yachts of all sizes, some generous strangers in the suburbs carrying a goldfish in one hand and four cherry Popsicles in the other, a pit stop to Taco Bell, a tour of the historic monuments of DC, and cuisine Thai food provided by our tour guide, Mary Beth. This is our day in a nutshell, if anything does not make sense, which I'm sure half of it will not, feel free to ask questions, we will be glad to clear any confusion.



We are off to sleep to rest up for our remaining 150 miles, hospital visits and check presentation with Alex's Lemonade Stand tomorrow!

Rally On,

Magan, Claire, Michael & Jai

T-shirts!

We have a limited number of 2009 Rally Across America t-shirts left to sell this year. This year's shirts were designed by Michael, one of the cyclists. Please help us sell all of our t-shirts and get closer to our goal of raising $75,000! T-shirts are only $15 (including shipping) - think of it as a great way to make a donation and have something to remember Rally Across America 2009!Front of t-shirt

Back of T-shirt

If you would like to order a t-shirt (or several!), please email Claire@rallyfoundation.org with the size (youth and adult sizes available), quantity, your name, and address.

Rally On!
T-shirt Team

Meet the 2009 Team!

Here is a post that we posted a few days ago, but for some reason it showed up as a much earlier post and I don't think anyone saw it!
___________________

We never really introduced our blog readers to the 2009 Rally Across America team...so here we are!

This year we have three new riders, and by new, we mean new to Rally and new to cycling!


(Magan's new motto: Bike, Train, Live)

Magan is a recent graduate of Kennesaw State University and is this year's Rally Across America Team Leader. In addition to interning in the Rally Foundation office this summer, she has been training for the ride! She has been training the longest of the RAA team members - she started cycling in May : )


Michael is a graphic designer and is originally from South Africa. He became excited about the cause and decided to join the team as well, and he and his iphone are a great addition to the team!



Jai is also a graphic designer and is originally from Ghana. Magan and Michael told him so much about the Rally Kids and Rally Across America, that he had to join the team too!



Claire is the Rally Kid Coordinator and has been involved with Rally Across America since the beginning. She drives the support car and her expertise includes figuring out how to cram everything into the back of the support car.

Rain, Rain Go Away...

After roughly 5 hours of sleep, we started our morning off with a pleasant alarm clock at 6:08a.m. (strange time, but Michael insisted). As we dragged out of the hotel room towards the lobby at a very slow pace, we managed to fuel up on cereal, waffles and juice, just enough to hold us over until after our hospital visit to CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). Today's hospital visit was and will always be memorable, from the warm greeting of Ed Flood, who was with the hospital foundation, to the shy smiles of the kids in the hospital, we will continue to keep this day forever close to our hearts! We were welcomed by all the families and children in the hospital and reminded why we are biking 1,000 miles for childhood cancer research.



After our visit to the hospital, the excitement continued as we tracked down a Bank of America to make our deposit of nearly $7,000 for the Rally Foundation. We left the bank invigorated and on a mission to raise more over the remainder of our journey! After circling the city nearly four times, we finally found our way to the proper highway to travel towards the beginning of our biking route, which was located in Newark, DE. Once we arrived at the location, we unloaded our gear and began cycling! It was filled with flat roads, a convenient bike lane, and flowing traffic until we crossed the state line into Maryland, that was pretty amazing I might add!



It was not too much longer after proudly crossing the state line when the mean, dark clouds began to roll in, the thunder started to roar and sprinkles of water began to come down, that we had to pack-up and get in the car with Claire. Luckily we had the opportunity to visit the waterfront and gain some warm welcomes from the historic community!



As Claire carefully navigated through the rain-filled streets of Maryland, we began to brainstorm about which city to head towards as we trekked to Washington, DC. That is when we looked at the atlas and decided on Annapolis, where Michael's dad Keith donated us a room at the "fancy-schmancy" Hilton. The van Tonder generosity did not end after the accommodations, it continued through dinner to a local favorite called "The Boatyard," where the bill was paid by Michael.



We are now off to bed and will catch up with you later tomorrow after we arrive in Arlington, VA!

Rally On,

Magan, Claire, Michael & Jai

Eatin' in Easton

After we enjoyed our last authentic NYC bagels, we loaded everything up to head to Easton, PA for our next event. You would probably think that with printed MapQuest directions, a Garmin GPS, and an iPhone, we wouldn't have any problems navigating, but you would be wrong. Sometimes, roads look like they would be good for biking until you get to them. Anyway, we eventually made it to Easton in time to meet the Easton Rally Kid Nicholas and his mom Michelle, event organizer extraordinaire!

We took some pictures outside with the bikes before heading into the room that was donated for us at the brand new TownePlace Suites by Marriott. We are the first people to stay in our room - maybe even the first hotel guests period - and we are being treated like royalty!

After showers and organizing, it was time o head to the Easton Applebees for the Rally Across America fundraiser. The restaurant staff came outside for their staff meeting just as the Rally Across America team rode into the parking lot. The timing was perfect, just like the rest of the event.

The event included food, drinks, live music, and several Rally families. A huge thanks to the Applebees staff for donating their tips and throwing all of their energy into encouraging patrons to donate. Both winners of the 50-50 raffle donated their winnings back to RAA. It was amazing to see the community come together in support of the Rally Foundation and childhood cancer research!

The first RAA team rode in honor of Luke in Philadelphia in 2006, and Luke's mom and aunt came to the event to support this year's RAA team. The 2006 RAA team met Parker and his family in his Philadelphia hospital room soon after he was diagnosed, and Parker's parents and sister Abby came out to the event to rally in his memory. This year, the RAA team rode in Easton in honor of Rally Kid Nicholas, who came to the restaurant to introduce people to his new girlfriend Magan.

The event was a HUGE success - raising over $1400!!!! - and we can't wait to do it again next year. Thank you to the Applebees district manager, restaurant managers, and staff; the Konish, Lutz, and Ronco families; and the Easton community for all of their support!!

Rally On!

Claire, Magan, Michael, and Jai

Meet Easton Rally Kid Nicholas!

Nicholas was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on Valentine's Day 2008 at the age of three. His diagnosis was devastating to his family, but he has amazed everyone with how well he has done in his treatment so far. He loves Thomas the Train, Sponge Bob, and trucks. His new love is boxing!

Nicholas lives in Pennsylvania with his Mommy, Daddy, and dog Chase. His Mom shares, "He will finish treatment in April 2011, and we pray that the rest of his treatment goes as well as it has so far. He is the strongest and most courageous boy we know."

Whirlwind of a Day

Our itinerary today had 5 stops!

First Stop: Vineyard Vines. This morning we visited the headquarters of one of our wonderful sponsors, Vineyard Vines, in Stamford, CT. We were excited to tell them about our ride over breakfast, and we had a whale-y good time! We are so thankful for all of their support and look forward to doing a ride with them on Martha's Vineyard next summer. Then it was back to New York City - by car, since the team biked from NYC to Stamford the day before - for 2 hospital visits and a tour of a lab.

Second Stop: Visit the kids at Columbia University Medical Center. After successfully navigating the streets of NYC, we made it to Columbia to visit the kids at the oncology clinic. We were able to give out 55 goody bags to the kids there. They were all excited to hear about the Rally Foundation and see all the fun things from our sponsors, like Vineyard Vines hats and Aflac ducks. Third Stop: Irving Cancer Research Center at Columbia University. I'm pretty sure that no one has ever taken a bicycle into the childhood cancer research lab at Columbia, and it's probably against some OSHA guideline, but we definitely did it any way. We met with Dr. Adolfo Ferrando, a Rally Research Grant recipient, who is researching leukemia. He gave us a great tour of the lab and explained all about his research.

Fourth Stop: Visit the kids at NYU Medical Center. By the time we made it to the pediatric oncology clinic at NYU, it was getting pretty late in the day and there weren't too many people there, but we were able to hand out some goody bags, and I'm sure that the kids tomorrow will be very excited to get the goody bags too! Then it was time to load the bike back up and get everyone back in the car (for the 4th time today!) and drive to Staten Island. We left at the start of rush hour, just as it was starting to rain,but that just meant that we got to enjoy some more people watching before we left NYC!

Fifth Stop: Maddon family in Staten Island. The 2006 RAA team stayed with Rally Kid Zachary's family 3 years ago soon after he was diagnosed with leukemia. Now, Zachary has finished chemo and is doing great! We have had a great evening of eating and playing with the Maddon family and will be sad to leave them in the morning!

Now we are off to sleep because we have a full day ahead of us tomorrow. A few hours of riding followed by an 8 hour fundraiser!

Rally On!

Claire, Magan, Michael, and Jai

Meet NYC Rally Kid Zachary!

Zachary is a sweet and loving boy who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) on November 15, 2005. He has been in remission since early December 2005 and has taken chemotherapy daily for the past 3.5 years, in addition to enduring numerous bone marrow aspirations, lumbar punctures and blood transfusions. He never complains and is brave and wise beyond his years.

In July of 2006, his family had the distinct honor of hosting the Rally Across America team during their ride through NYC. Zachary started school in September 2006 and although he is frequently absent, he very much enjoys his time there when he is able to attend, Some of Zachary's favorite things are riding his ATV, Pokemon, Digimon, Dinosaurs and spending time with his brother Jonathan and sister Lauren.

Zachary and his family are confident that once Zachary's cancer is cured his leukemia journey will be just another snapshot in a miraculous life. The cure rate of Zachary's cancer jumped from 40% to75% in two decades due to the generosity of our predecessors who supported pediatric cancer research, but a 75% cure rate is not good enough. Please consider making a donation to help find a 100% cure!

Greenwich Expedition

Ahhhhh Yes! Sunday Morning and its time to leave Manhattan, New York and head toward Greenwich, Connecticut. Here we come! But first we made a stop at one of the zillion deli's in New York, conveniently located across the street of our host's home. A few bagels, some juice, & muffins made our breakfast complete. So its on the road again!






As we escaped the Sunday morning traffic...wait?! Sunday Morning Traffic? We hear the famous JLo was shooting a movie scene in Manhattan, probably the cause for the gridlock. After finding a suitable place to begin our cycle into Connecticut like three conquistadors on a mission, Find La Quinta! *Cue Spanish Guitar*




Traveling through historic sections and the rolling hills of this new area, it was very apparent we weren't in Kansas anymore..or um NY. We've landed in Greenwich. The small boutiques, shops, timeless homes and small lakes with boat docks provided beautiful scenery as we trekked towards our destination. Such gorgeous weather and scenery definitely had us in high spirits.
We cleared the long distance enthusiastically.

We Made It.



Time to unload, unwind, and celebrate with...Yes, exactly what you think we'd celebrate with...Gourmet PB&J! After a small collaboration, still teaming with excitement, another ride was in order. Thus, Michael found a 25-mile back country route that was an absolute shocker once we departed.




The second trail we chose to take on today, unknowingly, began with almost 11 miles of steep hills. Actually hills is an understatement. These were "mini-mountains". Almost every road was named "Something-Hill", one was even called "Burying Hill"! After climbing a few, we understood and scanned the area for bike remains but only found faded tombstones. But as we persevered thru the tough beginning, it paid off because the scenery was excellent. Beautiful lush fields, voluminous cedar trees, rolling pastures, luxurious...and i mean grand estates were at every turn and curve. Indeed it was quite a paradox of a ride. The most beautiful views and the most difficult ride yet!!
But we did it!!





Wheeewww... right in time to miss a short storm. A little celebration dance we loaded up the car quick and headed back to the base. FOOOOOODDDD. A quick shower, burgers at the diner a stone throw away, and a few preparations for tomorrow concluded our evening.

Rally On!
Michael, Jai, Magan, and Claire