Tristates 100 2015-Friends, Family, and Fun

By July 29, 2015Blog

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Are you ready to ride 100 miles through 3 states to raise money for families facing a battle with childhood cancer?? Well, you have plenty of time to start training and get ready. The next Tristates 100 will take place on Saturday, June 4, 2016. Our location will remain at Bethel Baptist Church on Cottonwood Road in Dothan, Al.

This year’s ride was phenomenal with a record number or riders and over $30,000 raised for our families.

It is truly something you have to experience to understand!

Long before daylight the men of Bethel Baptist Church were busily preparing pancakes and sausage for our riders. Registration opened at 5:30 a.m. and continued until ride time. The room was buzzing with conversation, greetings for old friends and fellow riders, laughter, and excitement. The excitement and anticipation in the air was palpable.

Volunteers from all walks of life work for weeks prior to the event to prepare for the ride. Lead by Joe Varner they prepare the course, plan the rest stops, design and order the T shirts and jerseys (thank you Nick Steltenpohl for your beautiful designs), engage sponsors, prepare the rider packets and it is all a labor of love. I have met some of the most unselfish people I have ever known through this ride.

For me, my family and friends who come back year after year to work are a special gift. My cousin Ray Stinson is the only one of us brave enough to tackle the 100 mile ride. He does it every year and pulls back in looking like he just rode around the block. I would need an ambulance!!! My cousins, my sister, my son and his family, and my high school friends join the many other volunteers to help with registration, greet the returning riders, and do whatever is needed during the day.

We had a special treat this year as the men from Bethel Baptist Church along with their pastor Ricky Plummer were there from early to late to assist us. They not only prepared breakfast but also prepared spaghetti, salad, and bread for lunch that was served up with delicious pound cake for dessert. They worked tirelessly and with the sweetest spirit. They opened not only their church but their hearts to us. What a blessing and what an example of servant leadership!!

I won’t try to name all our sponsors for fear of leaving someone out, but every year businesses across the Wiregrass make this event possible by their generous donations of money, food,supplies and music!!

We do all of this year after year for the children who are battling cancer and their families. The money goes directly to the Dawn Pitchford Patient Care Fund administered by the Hope and Cope division at The Children’s Hospital of Alabama for the non medical needs of children with cancer and their families. In the last few years among other things we have helped pay for gas to get families to Birmingham for treatment, payed power bills and even mortgage payments, paid for wigs for little bald heads, and unfortunately even helped with funeral expenses.

It is a labor of love.

Would you consider joining us next year? If you can ride that would be marvelous! There are 4 distances to choose from so you don’t have to be able to ride 100 miles. If you can help sponsor the event your money will be used wisely and for a great cause. If you can volunteer we need you.

We want the next event to be the biggest and best ever!!

You can go to www.tristates100.com for all the details.

Mark your calendar now for Saturday, June 4, 2016! And…ride on!!

Janice Pitchford

Janice Pitchford

Janice Pitchford lives with her husband Larry in the quiet southeast Alabama town of Abbeville, She is a mother, grandmother,registered nurse, speaker, trainer, and author. Her career in health care spanning four decades has brought a wealth of knowledge that can be applied to any business arena. She is a member of the Igniting Souls Tribe and Author Academy Elite led by Kary Oberbrunner as well as a member, certified speaker, and trainer with the John Maxwell Team. A woman of faith, her passion is to help others find meaning and fulfillment at every stage of life and to FINISH WELL!!

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