Bike walk event to raise money and awareness for Hospice

Ride the Red will host its 12th bike and walk benefit to raise awareness of the services of Red River Valley Hospice Care and generate funds to help patients without health insurance.

The purpose of the event is to bring “an awareness of Hospice,” Dawn Koranda, the art director at Flint Communications, said. “Whether you need services today or tomorrow, the extent of services that Hospice brings to family and care of the patient is a support and a wellbeing that people need during end-of-life care.”

Hospice care is an independent, non-profit group who provides compassion, comfort and provision for the terminally ill patients it serves.

Hospice care is an intensive comfort care that alleviates pain and suffering, enhancing quality of life for terminally ill patients and families by addressing their medical, emotional, spiritual and grief needs, according to the Hospice website.

This is the 12th year of the Ride the Red event, though it was not held the last two years due to flooding in 2011.

The event was held under different names the first three years because the funds that were raised went to different nonprofit organizations each year, Lacey Nygard of Flint Communications said.

The event was originally started by Patrick Brown. Brown had a co-worker who had to be placed in Hospice care. With this new awareness, he said he felt the need to help his friend financially by fundraising a bike ride event, Bonnie Oelschlager, from Hospice of the Red River Valley, said.

“Through advertising and promotional media for several years, Flint Communications has assumed all organization and promotion for the 2012 event,” Koranda’s testimonial said. Koranda had a personal family experience with Hospice, which rekindled the idea to promote Ride the Red.

The bike and walk benefit will take place Saturday, Sept. 15th.

Check in will be at 9 a.m., the bike race will start at 9:30 and the walk will start at 9:45. Young and old are encouraged to participate in the event. Kids 12 and younger are free with an adult. There will also be light refreshments served afterward.

The bike and walk route follows the Red River on the F-M recreation trail from Trefoil Park to Lindenwood Park in South Fargo and then back. It is about 13 miles.

A $25 registration fee is required. All of the proceeds will go to Hospice.

“[To] help provide care and costs to fill in the gaps for those who do and do not have insurance,” Koranda said.

Registrations will be accepted the day of the benefit at the check-in location before 9 a.m. Information for early registration can be found at www.facebook.com/ridethered.

There are ways to help Hospice besides Ride the Red. Donations and volunteering are always needed and are two big ways to serve.

Volunteers are needed everyday: to talk, read, encourage, play a board game or simply spend time with the patients.

Hospice of the Red River Valley services 29 counties in Fargo, Grand Forks, Valley City, Lisbon and Maryville in North Dakota; Detroit Lakes and Thief River Falls in Minnesota.

To find more information on where and how to serve can be found by calling 1800-237-4629 or online at www.hrrv.org.