August 2009.
Rica Mendes, a divorced mother in her later-than-early-20s, had taken up cycling in March. Trying to impress a boy, she had worked her way up from riding 2-3 miles a day and feeling accomplished to commuting to and from work daily (12-15 miles each way) and riding a century. Upon completion of her first century, she asked her friend, "What's next?" expecting him to agree to ride his tandem bike with her. Instead, he dared her to ride 200 miles in one day. Being new to the sport, she figured this was par for the course and agreed.
But she wasn't going to suffer for nothing. She'd just learned a friend was running the NYC Marathon as part of a Grassroots Team LIVESTRONG effort and that her Mary Kay mentor was diagnosed with cancer a second time. Rica decided to ride to the NYC Century Tour, the Tour itself, and back, finishing 200 miles in one day for LIVESTRONG. She hoped to raise $360. Hurting herself 60 miles into the ride, she only finished 160 miles. But, she raised over $1,800 and was asked to become a LIVESTRONG Leader during the course of the day.
Thus, Fairfield & Westchester Counties Benefiting LIVESTRONG was born. Since then, we have expanded to a series of annual and one-time events, and are moving towards actively providing support for cancer fighters and their families on a grassroots, intimate level.
Learn more about our LIVESTRONG Leadership
But she wasn't going to suffer for nothing. She'd just learned a friend was running the NYC Marathon as part of a Grassroots Team LIVESTRONG effort and that her Mary Kay mentor was diagnosed with cancer a second time. Rica decided to ride to the NYC Century Tour, the Tour itself, and back, finishing 200 miles in one day for LIVESTRONG. She hoped to raise $360. Hurting herself 60 miles into the ride, she only finished 160 miles. But, she raised over $1,800 and was asked to become a LIVESTRONG Leader during the course of the day.
Thus, Fairfield & Westchester Counties Benefiting LIVESTRONG was born. Since then, we have expanded to a series of annual and one-time events, and are moving towards actively providing support for cancer fighters and their families on a grassroots, intimate level.
Learn more about our LIVESTRONG Leadership
