KID S HELPING KID S Mile Run Ages 3Yrs-11 Yrs

MILLBROOK DUATHLON

SUNDAY OCTOBER 7, 2012 TO BENEFIT

THE RYAN McELROY CHILDREN’S CANCER FOUNDATION 1 mile walk/run, 12 mile bike, 3mile walk/run – Individual or Team

KID’S HELPING KID’S ½ Mile Run Ages 3yrs-11 yrs

WHERE: PULSE Cycling and Fitness 3280 Franklin Ave Millbrook,NY 12545 677.4999

TIME: Kid’s run 9:30am; 10 amDuathlon. Race day registration7:30-9:00am

FEES: Duathlon $60 pre-reg $70 race day Kid’s run $10 pre-reg $15 race day

You may also sponsor a bike and cycle indoors 10-11 am - $50

Sponsored by: BIKEWAY & PULSE CYCLING AND FITNESS

Age Awards and Barbecue to Follow

Raffle to Win a 2012 Road Bike

100 % of the money raised goes directly to the children and their families who are suffering from cancer and other life threatening diseases in our community. Thank you for your support.

Inaugural "Ryan McElroy Children's Cancer Foundation" DUATHLON IN VILLAGE OF MILLBROOK SUNDAY OCT 2,2011

Ryan was only 3 years old when he and I first met. Little did I know then, how he would drastically change my life. In 1996 I was co-hosting a fitnessfundraiser for St. Jude's Children Hospital with Judy McElroy, owner of Pawling World Gym with her husband Chip. She and I were both pregnant. After the event and a few years later we both continued to work in the fitness industry. I walked into work one day and I saw a can on the counter with the picture of this beautiful, blonde hair, blue eyed boy that could have passed for one of my own children. I saw that his family was raising funds for him to have experimental treatments for a rare bone cancer, Ewing Sarcoma. I was shocked to see that this precious little 3 - year old boy was Judy and Chip's son, Ryan McElroy. I called the phone number listed and spoke to Ryan's grandfather Frank, who would soon to be my new best friend. He had told me that Ryanhad already been through many rounds of chemo, radiation and 2 bone marrow treatments and there was nothing else that western medicine could do. Ryan's family did not want to give up hope so they needed to raise funds for an experimental treatment in the Dominican Republic since insurance would no longer cover any medical expenses. I asked Frank how much money they needed and when they needed it by. He said $20,000.00 in 5 weeks. That is when Frank's and my mission began. I woke up in the middle of the night and "Sunshine for Ryan " came into my thoughts. I went to every fitness center and business I knew in Dutchess County and they sold yellow suns and proudly displayed them in their front window. I remember driving down College and Raymond Ave in Poughkeepsie and seeing rays of yellow all down the streets. I went on every local TV and radio show and wrote to every local publication that I could. Then I tried to think of how we could raise the most amount of money with an event that most people could participate in in the shortest period of time. I thought that most people can walk, push a stroller and or be pushed in a wheelchair. I went to the Carey Arboretum in Millbrook and we had a walk for Ryan on September 14,1998 just days after his 4th birthday. Friends, family and people that didn't know Ryan, but wanted to help, stood in a large circle in silence,prayed and then walked for Ryan.

The next day I went into the Post Office to collect my mail and the postmaster came out with 3 large bins filled with letters and cards, all for Ryan! Children, prison inmates, businesses and families all came together and helped us raise $28,000.00 in less than 5 weeks for Ryan. I cannot even begin to express toyou enough how, emotional that moment was when Frank and I read every letter and card that was sent. I was proud to live in a community where there were so many caring,compassionate and generous people. Unfortunately, the treatments did not work but Chip and Judy continued to keep faith and hope and flew with Ryan to Lourdes ,France where Ryan could be bathed in the Holy water. After exhausting everything that a devoted mother and father could do, God had chosen to bring Ryan home just shy of his 5th birthday. I will never forget his radiant smile and the brightness of his eyes. Shortly after, his grandfather Frank also succumbed to cancer. I was devastated. But the strength of Ryan and his family continued to teach me.

Ryan had inspired me so much that I wanted to honor his memory by trying to help other children. I had never really ran before but I had heard of how I could help raise funds for the pediatric ward at Sloane Kettering Hospital. The only thing was is that I had to run the NYC marathon in order to do so. This is where it all began for me. His less than 5 years on this earth has motivated me to run 7 marathons for St. Judes and Fred's Team and Miles of Hope, 11 years of countless 5K's, 10k's,1/2 marathons, triathlons and to be part of events to help raise cancer awareness in the Hudson Valley. I have met and made so many friends in the running community that I would not have in my life right now if it wasn’t for Ryan.

During this time, the Ryan McElroy Children’s Cancer Foundation was born to continue to help children in the Hudson Valley who's lives have been touched by cancer and other life threatening illnesses. The executive director is DC Sheriff Butch Anderson and the board is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of these children 100%of the money raised goes directly to these families. They pay medical expenses, household expenses, purchase beds and help build ramps and make wishes come true for these local children. I am so amazed to have witness how much they have given to our community. The foundation is so humble, without looking for any personal recognition. They simply want to do what they can to ease the pain as much as humanly possible and make a difference in the lives of these children and their families. So now I am emotionally ready and strong enough to begin a new mission. I will be directing for the first time since Ryan succumbed to cancer 13 years ago an Inaugural DUATHLON sponsored by BIKEWAY of Wappingers Falls and Mid-Hudson Medical Group.

I cannot thank them for all of their support for this event. If you cannot run but would like to be a volunteer or sponsor please contact me at . The KID"S HELPING KID'S 1/2 mile begins at 11:30am ages 3yrs -13 yrsand is $10 for all pre-registered kids and $15 on race day. The DUATHLON begins at 9am. The race starts and finishes at PULSE Cycling and Fitness on the corner of Franklin Ave and Church St. Please go to Active.com to register (search running, then Ryan). Free T-shirts and ribbons for all kids running the 1/2 mile. This year our first recipient is 12- year old Niall Heraty of Van Wyck Junior High School. Nialls is a special young boy whose strength has inspired other young kids to make a difference. He was diagnosed 3 years ago and has touched the lives of so many families in our community. His cancer is so rare that Sloane Kettering has never seen a case like his before.Thank you to BIKEWAY,the DC Sheriff's, Mid-Hudson Medical Group and the Ryan McElroy Children's Cancer Foundation's board, the Village of Millbrook, the Millbrook High School Lacrosse girl's team, Paula Redmond Real Estate, Jackie Montfort, the Gondolfo Family and especially to you Ryan, for changing my life and for making the difference of the lives of hundreds of children in the Hudson Valley. Visit

We would love for the families, schools, and businesses in the Village of Millbrook to be involved in in this special event. You can help by:

- Participating

The Millbrook Duathlon consists of a run/walk 1 mile, bike 12 miles, finishing with a walk/run for 3 miles. This can be done as either an individual or a 2 or 3 person team.

If you are not comfortable riding on the road, you can sponsor an indoor Spinning bike for yourself or friend and ride 45-90 minutes for $50

- Volunteering

E-mail Lori Decker at

- Sponsoring

donating a service, goods, gift basket or monetary donation.

$250 for your family/business name to be on event t-shirt

$500 for water station and t-shirt

$50 mile marker in on honor/memory of

Thank you all - from my heart,

Lori Cassia-Decker

PULSE Cycling and Fitness

677-4999