CYCLISTS SUPPORTING ADAPTIVE SPORTS, SKI RACING SAFETY FOR A DECADE
The Kelly Brush Century Ride powered by VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations hits a milestone this year, celebrating 10 years of cyclists supporting the Kelly Brush Foundation’s mission to empower those living with paralysis through sport and recreation and to improve ski racing safety.
The 10th anniversary ride is set for Saturday, Sept. 12 in Middlebury. Rated Vermont’s best century ride by Vermont Sports Magazine, last year’s event drew more than 700 riders. The ride is also the region’s largest for adaptive athletes using handcycles, with dozens of participants taking part annually.
“It’s amazing what we’ve been able to accomplish in a decade thanks to support from hundreds of dedicated riders, volunteers and our sponsors,” said Kelly Brush Foundation Executive Director Zeke Davisson. “Fundraising from the ride has enabled the foundation to help improve the lives of those living with spinal cord injuries by purchasing more than 300 pieces of adaptive sports equipment and protecting thousands of racers across the country with safety netting and trail widening projects, raising the bar for ski racing safety and injury prevention. But this is only the start, we are looking forward to what we can accomplish in the next decade.”
Since the ride’s inception in 2006, the foundation has raised more than $2 million.
“VBT is honored to be alongside the Kelly Brush Foundation celebrating ten years of cycling for a great cause,” said Gregg Marston, president of VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations. “We are proud to be part of an event that brings together so many cyclists for a rewarding and fun spin through some of the most scenic cycling on the planet.”
Fully-supported with water and food stops throughout, the ride offers gently rolling terrain with views of the Green Mountains to the east and Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains to the west over several distance options: 25, 50 or 100 miles, with cutoff options of 65 or 85 miles. Riders and teams of riders compete to raise the most money with prizes for reaching fundraising goals. The ride ends with a tasty and festive barbecue.
The ride was started by the Middlebury College Ski Team in 2006 as a way to buy an adaptive monoski and handcycle for team member Kelly Brush Davisson, who was paralyzed as the result of a ski racing crash. The next year the ride was opened to the public, with proceeds used to support the foundation’s mission.
Registration and more information are online at: www.kellybrushfoundation.org
The Kelly Brush Century Ride powered by VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations is made possible thanks to the generosity of many participants, volunteers and sponsors including: VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, Shearer Audi, Sugarbush Resort, SkiRack, Saatchi & Saatchi, World Cup Supply and others.
About the foundation: The Kelly Brush Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated empowering those with spinal cord injury (SCI) through ownership of adaptive sports equipment and improving safety in the sport of ski racing. The foundation has raised more than $2 million, helping to purchase more than 300 pieces of adaptive sports equipment and procure over 400 miles of safety netting and other safety equipment for ski racing organizations. Kelly Brush Davisson, together with her family, started the foundation in 2006 after she sustained a severe spinal cord injury while racing in NCAA Div. 1 competition as a member of the Middlebury College Ski Team in Vermont. The Kelly Brush Foundation affirms Kelly’s ongoing commitment to live life on her own terms and better the lives of others living with SCI. www.kellybrushfoundation.org
About VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations: VBT offers deluxe, small group bicycling and walking tours worldwide, including destinations throughout Europe, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Vietnam, Peru, Chile, South Africa, and the United States. Each trip includes all accommodations, many meals, two expert local Trip Leaders, unique sightseeing and cultural activities and on-tour vehicle support. Unlike other companies, VBT also includes roundtrip international airfare from over 30 U.S. cities and select Canadian cities for all overseas vacations. In 2014, VBT was rated by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine among the “World’s Best Tour Operators” for the fifth consecutive year.