Once again, the 2017 Orlando ADA Tour de Cure presented a Champions Reception in honor of all the hard work people did for the upcoming ADA Tour de Cure ride. Fundraisers that achieve the $1000 are considered “Champions”. This invitation-only event recognizes these Champions, key volunteers, and sponsors.
Jaguar of Orlando sponsored this event for the second year in a row, hosting it at their showroom. Guests were treated to an evening of music, socializing, and food.
Earle E. Richards Red Rider Award
A special night, this evening was also the inaugural Earle E. Richards Red Rider Award to recognize special Red Rider Champions. Heather Nagy, Lead for the Red Rider Team, introduced this award with a bit of background, and of course her wonderful words of praise. The recipient, Laura Shields, told how she met Earle. He inspired her to make her life her own, in spite of this disease. She saw how he didn’t let diabetes stop him from life, in particular cycling, and so she took up cycling, too. It was a moving experience to not only remember Earle this way but to see how Laura continues to fight. This kind of dedication inspires our team to keep endeavoring to do more in support of this cause. After this special award, Champions received certificates of recognition and a beautiful Champions Medal commemorating their achievement. This year marks the 27th Anniversary. Along with the Anniversary, the number of Champions increased yet again to 150, up from last year! TeamOne was among the crowd, having a good percentage of Champions, over half the team.
TeamOne Smashing Records
This year TeamOne so far has 24 Champions 
Champions (Adam, Barbara, Bill, Bob, Carl, Chet, Dawn, Deborah, Diana, Gail, Jimmy, Jodel, John L, Kelley, Kenesha, Kevin, Ron, Ruben, Seresaa, Shawn, Susie, Terry, Tom, and Z) for Diabetes in the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Lake Nona Tour de Cure!
We saw last year that distance didn’t keep dedicated supporters away. We saw it this year, too. Our movers and shakers on this team are local but also traveled from far to assist. We would like to extend a hearty thank you to Bob & Tom who traveled from the northeast, and Ron who traveled from the west. Bob and Tom became champions and were instrumental in creating many more Champions.
This year we also welcomed some new members (first-time riders) who also made Champion: Deborah and Terry. To become a Champion is recognized as a great accomplishment, so to become a Champion on the first time is spectacular! We are so thrilled to have these new riders embrace the quest to find a cure for diabetes.
With only a few days left until the big day, excitement is growing. We are looking forward to Sunday and an incredible day of riding, camaraderie, and fun with maybe a little of that Florida wind thrown in!
| Affiliation | 25 Miles | 50 miles |
|---|---|---|
| SAIC | Barbara Shurtleff 4 Bill Truett 1 Carl Hamilton John Legarreta Kelley Boutilier Kevin Belkofer 1 Ron Hemphill Ruben Herrera 1 Susie Schmitt Tom Wofford |
Adam Goldman 1 Bob Fecteau Chet Laird Diana Riley 3 Shawn DeLuca Zrain Olivencia 3 |
| Family / Friends | Deborah Moskowitz 1 Gail Tromp 1 Jimmy Vasil  Kenesha Osbourne Seresaa Setzer 3 Terry Melton 1 |
Dawn Atanasio 3 Jodel Jerome 3 |
| Notes | 1 First time ADA event riders 2 Very close to joining the other Champions 3 Also will ride 37 miles in Sarasota for ADA Tampa 4 Virtual Rider (a team member who raised funds but couldn’t ride) Red Rider: A person who rides with diabetes. Tour de Cure Jersey Champions for Diabetes |
|
Photos
Not photographed (Susie and Tom)
Great event and beautiful picture. Very thankful to be apart of such a great team. 🙂