Inaugural Bestwick Foundation “Bike For Life”
Set For Saturday, Oct. 22 at Tussey Mountain
X-Game Champion Jamie Bestwick to host event that supports Penn State-Coaches vs. Cancer & Centre Volunteers in Medicine
STATE COLLEGE, PA; Oct. 3, 2011 – Coming off an unprecedented fifth-straight X-Games world championship, action sports legend and State College resident Jamie Bestwick (http://jamiebestwick.com) will host the inaugural Bestwick Foundation “Bike For Life” on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Tussey Mountain in Boalsburg, Pa.
Charity bike rides and a daylong family fun event will help raise funds in support of Penn State-Coaches vs. Cancer (CVC), and Centre Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM).
“This cause is close to my heart,” said Bestwick who has won eight X-Games BMX Vert gold medals in a career stretching more than 15 years, the most recent coming July 30 at X-Games 17 in Los Angeles. “I lost both sets of grandparents to cancer in England and I’ve seen friends locally in State College suffering through cancer treatment. Through my foundation I aim to raise money for families receiving cancer treatment in the Centre Region.”
The inaugural “Bike For Life” event will include a full day of activities. Participants can choose to do a full or half metric century road ride or compete in the Mid-Atlantic All Mountain Championships, an uphill/downhill mountain bike race. Other activities include a Family Fun Ride, musical entertainment by local favorite Pure Cane Sugar, food by Catering With Style, Tussey Mountain Family Fun Center amusements and a professional BMX demonstration. Bestwick will be joined by fellow cycling star and 2 time Downhill Mountain Bike Masters World Champion Lars Tribus, and others who will participate in the rides.
On-site registration for the event will begin at 8:00 a.m. Saturday at Tussey Mountain. Participants are encouraged to pre-register on-line at http://jamiebestwick.com/bikeforlife. Registration for the metric century (62 mile) and half metric century (31 mile) road rides and the mountain bike race is $50 per person and includes on-course support, post-event food and drink and entertainment at Tussey Mountain. Teams of six riders or more can register at a discount of $40 per person for the road rides and teams of three riders or more can register at a discount of $45 per person for the mountain bike race. The Family Fun Ride pass costs $25 for two adults and three children (10 and under). Non-riders can register for a Tussey Mountain event pass for $20 (kids under 10 are free). Event passes include all food and entertainment at Tussey.
The event, sponsored by Monster, Toyota, Go Pro, Tony Hawk, Power Bar, Freeze Thaw Cycles, Tussey Mountain, Forever Broadcasting and Catering With Style, will kick-off with the road rides beginning at 9:00 a.m. from Tussey Mountain. Both road routes head through the gently rolling hills and pastoral farmlands of Penn’s Valley along scenic streams to the headwaters of Penns Creek. Riders will pass through Linden Hall, down Brush Valley Road through Centre Hall, down Penns Creek Valley for a scenic streamlined ride to the half-way point of Camp Woodward and a fully stocked rest break. Riders return to Tussey Mountain via shady and tree-lined Pine Creek Road through the Villages of Coburn and Spring Mills.
Both rides will be led by guides, clearly marked and have support/hydration stations along the route.
The Mid-Atlantic All Mountain Championships mountain bike race registration and course practice will begin at 10:00 a.m. at Tussey Mountain with a mass start for each class for the uphill portion commencing at 1:00 pm followed by a solo timed downhill race. Racers must use the same bike for both races. Race categories include expert, novice, and team (3 person minimum) for male and female riders as well as a coed/open team category. Prizes will be awarded to overall winners in each category as well as for the best costume.
Event passes for non-riders will be on-sale at Tussey Mountain from noon-4:00 p.m. Tussey Mountain Family Fun Center, featuring go-carts, mini golf, batting cages and a skate park, is open noon-5:00 p.m. Local favorite Pure Cane Sugar will perform at the Tussey Mountain Amphitheater from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Penn State Coaches vs. Cancer has raised nearly $2 million in the last 15 years to fight cancer and help support those affected by the disease. It has grown from an annual golf tournament started in the summer of 1996 to a year-round schedule of events, which includes the Spikes Fest, CVC 5k Fun Run/Walk, the Coaches Vs. Cancer Celebrity Golf Tournament, Microbrewer’s Expo and the CVC Reverse Car Drawing.
Much of the money raised goes directly to assist those affected by the disease in the Centre Region through the Bob Perks Fund (BPF). Funds are also donated directly to the American Cancer Society. The American Cancer Society is the largest non-profit funder of cancer research, with over $30 million in research taking place in Pennsylvania each year, including three research grants totaling over $2.1 million at Penn State University.
To get involved in any of Penn State Coaches vs. Cancer’s events or become a sponsor or volunteer please visit www.CVCPENNSTATE.org.
Centre Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM) makes a difference for local residents without health insurance. CVIM is a free clinic serving Centre County residents through the medical clinic; the dental clinic; the pharmacy offering free prescription medications to those that can not afford medication; and through Case Management services, which acts as a conduit to services offered through other human service organizations.
CVIM is supported almost wholly from private donations. To get involved with CVIM visit www.cvim.net.