CONTACT: Emily Kumlien
(608) 265-8199
(608) 516-9154
[email protected]
MADISON- Blinding diseases affect millions of Americans, including 100,000 in Wisconsin.
An hour on a bike in March can directly impact eye research underway at UW-Madison.
The quest to end blinding diseases through eye research here in Madison continues Saturday March 10, 2018 with the seventh annual Cycle for Sight. The event has raised over $150,000 in the last six years for vision researchers at the McPherson Eye Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
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.
There are three Madison locations—Capital Fitness, 15 N. Butler Street at E. Wash, The Nat on campus (200 observatory drive) and the Princeton Club’s west side location (8080 Watts Road) . Event times start at 8 a.m. and vary by location. Teams of cyclists or individual riders will pedal for an hour in support of necessary research. It’s also an opportunity for some late-winter exercise.
“Cycle for Sight brings together a community of people who are invested in finding cures for blinding diseases. Many of our riders live with severe vision loss and are eager to help fund research on new therapies to treat and cure these diseases,” said Dr. David Gamm, director of the McPherson Eye Research Institute. “The ride is open to the whole community, and we hope that if you have family members, friends, and colleagues with vision loss, you’ll think about riding with us or contributing. Funds raised during Cycle for Sight go directly towards advancing these efforts.”
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.
To register for Cycle for Sight, or to donate to the ride, visit www.vision.wisc.edu/cycle. Registration is open now.
Participants and researchers are available to speak with the media.
