Austin Challenge is Almost Here

Oct 07, 2011 by Anne Marie Rickes (LIVESTRONG Staff)

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It’s hard to believe that the last event of the 2011 Team LIVESTRONG Challenge Series is a week away.

We’re working hard to prepare and we are excited to close the Series here in Austin and host Ride for Roses, all at the same time. We’ve got participants coming from all over the country, local companies picking up their recruitment and fundraising efforts, bikes getting shipped to Mellow Johnny’s, teams starting (or continuing) cross-country rides, and friends asking friends to support them ALL in the name of fighting cancer! Not only are we impressed, we’re humbled.

For the past 15 years, the Austin community has supported the growth of LIVESTRONG and our events. And it all started with an idea called Race for the Roses. The amazing part about working here is that you can still find people to tell you about the first event and the original intention of starting a ride which intended to raise funds for cancer survivors and their families. What’s more amazing is that the person telling you about it was probably there. You can’t find that very many places, and because of this, LIVESTRONG events have felt like a growing family ever since.

Whether you walk in the 5K on Saturday (10/15) or try one of our multi-distance rides on Sunday (10/16), I believe you’ll find an air of camaraderie and stewardship unlike other events. LIVESTRONG participants understand the value of celebrating other people’s survivorship, towing a complete stranger up a challenging hill, or listening to a story about someone else’s fight. These aren’t normal event gestures, but then again, at LIVESTRONG, we don’t strive to be normal.

So come and join us at this year’s event. Register at www.livestrong.org/AustinChallenge.