MILTON - Two Rotarians from the Milton Rotary Club, Jeffrey Coup and Eric McDowell, will ride their bicycles for a total of 335 miles through eight counties visiting each of the central Pennsylvania towns that are home to thirty-four District 7370 Rotary clubs to raise funds for The Rotary Foundation's campaign to end polio worldwide.
The Rotary clubs of Danville, Bloomsburg and Berwick are joining forces to seek local cyclists and virtual riders to join Coup and McDowell as they ride from Danville to Berwick, on the third day of the four-day planned ride.
"We're hoping that experienced and novice bikers will join us to "Pedal Out Polio" and ride portions of the way or stay with us for the whole ride. Individuals who do not ride bikes can make a minimum donation of $25 as "virtual riders" to lend their support to our cause of eradicating polio from the face of the planet," said Coup, an avid cyclist who has served on the District 7370 PolioPlus Committee since its inception.
Riders will be required to wear helmets, sign an entry/waiver form, make a minimum $25 donation to the Rotary Foundation for each day they plan to ride, be responsible for any overnight lodging and for making return transportation arrangements back to their starting point. To ride with the tour, a separate registration form and donation will be required for each day. Riders may join the tour at any departure point and leave when they choose. Signatures of parents or guardians are required for participants under 16 years of age.
The ride will depart at 9 a.m. each day, beginning Saturday in Renovo, with the ride ending in Hughesville (71 miles); day two, Sunday, begins in Hughesville and ends in Danville (94 miles); day three, Monday, starts in Danville and ends in Ashland (67 miles); and day four, Tuesday, departure is from Ashland and ends in Tamaqua (91 miles).
For information about ride details including planned stops, route maps, and to download registration and donation forms, visit www.rotary7370.org.
Riders can also register on-site Monday prior to the 9 a.m. departure time in Danville, from Stetler Insurance, 1217 Bloom Road; in Bloomsburg, at the Rotary Pavilion, Bloomsburg Park before the 9:55 a.m. departure; and in Berwick, prior to the 11:05 a.m. departure from the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation, 725 W. Front St.
Local Rotary club contacts for additional information about the "Rotary Pedals Out Polio" event are, for Danville, club president Susanne Norton at 784-8174; for Bloomsburg, Mary Beth Shade at 784-3654; and for Berwick, club president Nick Pajovich at 752-5981.
Donations to help eradicate polio will also be accepted at on-site locations or by mail using the on-line form on the district website. All donations are fully tax deductible and should be made payable to "The Rotary Foundation" with PolioPlus on the memo line of the check. Any gift of $1,000 or more will receive a special recognition from The Rotary Foundation.