L'Union Fait la Force = Strength Through UnityLA JOLLA, CA - AdventureCORPS, Inc., an athlete-run firm producing some of the world's toughest sports events - including the Badwater Ultramarathon and Furnace Creek 508 races in Death Valley - will host "80 FOR HAITI," a cycling benefit ride for Haiti relief supporting Mercy Corps on Saturday, February 13, 2010. The event will feature an 80-mile ride along Old Hwy 80 in southeastern San Diego County. There will be an $80 entry fee and 100% of the entry fees will go directly to Mercy Corps, one of the most respected relief organizations worldwide. AdventureCORPS will absorb all costs, but food, drink, and support sponsors are being sought.
The "80 FOR HAITI" cycling event start / finish line is just 44 miles east of San Diego, in Pine Valley, CA. The route is spectacular, on absolutely quiet roads through rolling terrain.
As international relief efforts continue in Haiti, a Mercy Corps earthquake response team is in Port-au-Prince responding to urgent needs.
Registering for this ride - or donating to the cause, if you can't do the actual ride - will help families in Haiti recover from the most powerful quake to hit the country in more than 200 years. Mercy Corps relief workers with experience in disaster responses ranging from Hurricane Katrina to the Myanmar cyclone are converging on Haiti from Africa, Asia, and North America. They're focusing first on the immediate needs -- for water, food, temporary shelter supplies and much more -- and expanding their work to three areas: clean water, post-trauma support for children, and job creation.
The needs in Haiti are immense. Its capital lies in ruins, as many as 200,000 may be dead, and survivors are increasingly desperate for food, clean water and shelter. Please ride "80 For Haiti" and/or give what you can to help families recover.
Cycling participants in 80 FOR HAITI must pre-register for the event, so that we can plan accordingly. PLEASE register prior to February 6 for the ride. Donations will be accepted through February 13, and beyond.
• February 13, 2010
• Held along Eastern San Diego County's Old Hwy 80: Minimal traffic, no traffic lights, and just a few stop signs.
• Three well-stocked checkpoints, plus roving SAG support vehicles on the course.
• The entry fee is a minimum $80 donation: 100% of ALL entry fees will go to Mercy Corps.
ABOUT THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake with the epicenter near Léogane, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, striking at 16:53:10 local time (21:53:10 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 13 kilometres (8.1 mi). The United States Geological Survey recorded a series of at least 33 aftershocks, fourteen of them between magnitudes 5.0 and 5.9. The International Red Cross estimated that about three million people were affected by the quake, and the Haitian Interior Minister believes that up to 200,000 have died as a result of the disaster, exceeding earlier Red Cross estimates of 45,000–50,000. Several prominent public figures are among the dead. The Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive recently announced that over 70,000 bodies have been buried in mass graves. Source (and more details): Wikipedia.com
OFFICIAL CHARITY
The Official Charity of 80 FOR HAITI is Mercy Corps. Mercy Corps is a team of 3700 professionals helping turn crisis into opportunity for millions around the world. By trade, they are engineers, financial analysts, drivers, community organizers, project managers, public health experts, administrators, social entrepreneurs and logisticians. In spirit, they are activists, optimists, innovators and proud partners of the people they serve. According to their website:
"Mercy Corps has long been recognized as an excellent steward of the resources entrusted to it. Over the past five years, more than 89 percent of our resources have been allocated to programs that help people in need. Ensuring that resources are wisely spent is the cornerstone of our values, vision, and strategy for growth in the future. We are proud of the awards, endorsements, memberships, and honors that substantiate our track record of accountability."
More info about Mercy Corps' Efforts in Haiti.
Lots of media coverage of the event is being published, including:
Los Angeles Times Blog | Bike San Diego | Xtremesport4u | EcoVelo |
Velo Cult | Biking Bis | Bike Radar | Active.com
ROSTER OF RIDERS, DONORS, MEDIA, AND SUPPORTERS
Click here (and let's get YOUR name on this list!)
Route Description
The 80 For Haiti event will start and finish at Pine Valley County Park at 28810 Old Highway 80 in Pine Valley, CA 91962. It's an extremely easy location to reach. All participants should park within the Park, NOT along the highway or in front of local businesses.
Click here for Google Map of the start/finish location. Click here for more about Pine Valley, CA.
We'll use the same start lline as our April 17 Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic: Pine Valley County Park. From the park, we'll ride a four-mile loop around Pine Valley to warm up, then we'll head east on Old Hwy 80 to La Posta Rid. Next, we'll head right / south (mostly downhill) on La Posta to a left / east on 94. CP1 will be located here, at the intersection of La Posta and 94, at mile 30.4. Heading east, 94 will rejoin the 80 as we enter the town of Boulevard. We'll continue east on 80 through Jacumba to the end of Old 80 at the Desert View Tower, which sits above Inkopah Pass with a commanding view of the Anza-Borrego Desert. CP2 will be located here, at mile 44.6, the turn-around. We'll then beeline straight back to Pine Valley on Old Hwy 80, with a third and final checkpoint located in or near Boulevard at approximately mile 60. We hope to be able to serve a finish line meal at Pine Valley Park. There will also be roving SAG vehicles on the course to support the riders.
EMAIL OF THE WEEK
Thanks for doing this, it is the right thing to do! Karen & I will ride the 80 for Haiti, below is what I sent to our riding group.
Hello fellow riders sorry for the interruption in our riding schedule hopefully weather permitting we can start our weekend rides again this next weekend. Originally Karen and I were going to ride in the Tour de Palm Springs, however we have decided to do the 80 for Haiti ride on February 13, 2010 instead. It is an 80 mile out and back ride in East County. 100% of the proceeds will go to Haiti relief. We have all done this ride or portions of it. Realizing that 80 miles is a long way and I have never rode that far myself, Karen and I plan on riding out as far as we can then turning back when we feel it is time. So my thoughts are let’s try to get as many of our fellow riders that we know to participate in this worthy cause. If you want to do a portion of the ride and turn around early then maybe you can if willing, provide a roving SAG support to your fellow Alpine Riders, i.e. You can haul my fat ass back to the car if I give out.
While I did not deploy to Haiti I have been involved daily in the USA Urban Search & Rescue response. The US&R task forces that did deploy were from the east coast (they were closest) with the exception of the LA County task force. Many of my friends are still in Haiti as of today 1/23/2010; the stories they have shared with me about the people of Haiti are of their strength and bravery and of their sadness at losing whole families, dozens of friends etc.
- Gerry Brewster
ABOUT ADVENTURECORPS (the home of the Rough Riders)
La Jolla, CA-based AdventureCORPS, Inc. is an athlete-run firm producing and promoting ultra-endurance and extreme sports events, lifestyle, and media. Adventure is our way of life. AdventureCORPS’ world-class events for athlete-adventurers include epic races such as the Badwater Ultramarathon and Furnace Creek 508, muiti-day cycling lifestyle adventures known as CORPScamps, the annual Rough Riders Rally in Marin County, plus several 100- and 200-mile cycling events in Death Valley, and on and around San Diego County's Mt. Laguna. We also host and develop our adventure-related websites and blogs and provide a variety of adventure-related services. Founded in 1984 by Chris Kostman, this group effort is dedicated to exploring the inner and outer universes, seeking adventure, energy, and insight both in daily life and "out there." AdventureCORPS is a member of 1% For The Planet and the Conservation Alliance, and supports three Official Charities: Challenged Athletes Foundation, Death Valley Natural History Association, and Major Taylor Association.
Below: More photos of the 80 FOR HAITI route,
including Desert View Tower
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