Fifth-year indoor cycling event set to raise money for research on blinding disease
MADISON- The quest to end blinding diseases through eye research here in Madison continues Saturday, March 12, 2016 with the fifth annual Cycle for Sight.
Just an hour on a bike one Saturday morning at three Madison locations — the Natatorium on the UW campus, the Southeast Recreational Facility (SERF) and the Princeton Club’s west side location — will raise money for vision researchers.
The event is put on by the McPherson Eye Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Riders will raise money for vision research by McPherson ERI scientists. Dr. Dave Gamm is the director of McPherson ERI.
“This event continues to grow each year as we help raise awareness of the powerful community of Wisconsin vision researchers working to understand and develop treatments for blinding diseases that affect 100,000 Wisconsin residents,” said Gamm. “Support is greatly needed for this effort, and funds raised by riders will advance vision research conducted by UW-Madison scientists and their collaborators. This is a fun way to exercise and make a difference.”
The campus locations will host the event from 9 a.m. to noon, while the Princeton Club location is from 8 a.m. to 11a.m. Teams of cyclists will pedal for an hour and support needed research. It’s also an opportunity for some late-winter exercise.
New this year will be a special one-hour session at Flyght Cycle, 515 Junction Road in Madison from noon-1p.m. There will be a $100 minimum per biker at this location.
Registration fee is $15 per rider and teams can be any size. Teams or individual participants will get fund-raising pages for accepting and tracking pledges. Prizes are awarded to the top teams. All skill levels are welcomed. Riders bike at their own pace for about an hour. Team members can sign up to ride for an hour together, or at different times.
Blinding diseases affect millions of Americans, including 100,000 in Wisconsin. Money raised will be used for research on impairments such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, childhood-related sight disorders and many other conditions.
The McPherson Eye Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin is a multidisciplinary community of scholars working to gain critical knowledge about the science and art of vision and apply it to the prevention of blindness. It was founded in 2005.
The event sponsors include: Recreational Sports at UW-Madison, the Princeton Club, Cellular Dynamics International, Direct Fitness Solutions, Saris Cycling Group, and the Shopko foundation.
To register for Cycle for Sight, or to donate to the ride, visit www.cycleforsight.wisc.edu. Registration is open now.
Participants and researchers are available to speak with the media.
