Perfect Day for Tour de Cure

It was an absolutely perfect day for the 26th annual Tour de Cure in support of the American Diabetes Association on Saturday.  This area's longest-running fund-raising cycling event annually attracts serious to casual bikers who pledge to raise money for every mile they ride.  It's not a race.  The Tour de Cure is a bicycle ride intended to raise money for research into the eventually cure of diabetes.

The Buffalo Niagara Tour de Cure begins and ends at Old Falls Street in Niagara Falls, NY.  Riders have their choice of 6-mile, 18-mile, 30-mile, 65-mile or 100-mile courses.  There's also an option for a walk/run 5K.  Many of the participants are affected by diabetes in some way, whether it being a family member or friend or dealing with the disease themselves.

There are over 80 such events across the country each year with participants raising nearly $30-million annually to support the mission.  29.1 million Americans have diabetes, many of them just kids.

I was honored to meet so many of the riders at this year's Tour de Cure over the weekend.  And they seriously work hard for their pledges.  This year's top individual raised over $11,000.  The top team raised over $20,000.

For more on diabetes, what it is, its risks and living with it are at the American Diabetes Association website.