The 2007 Dirt Rider 24 Hour Torture Test will host, along with the usual off-road legends and special Dirt Rider 24 Hour test bikes, a team riding to raise awareness and money for the American Diabetes Association. The team will be built around Josh Summey, a professional supercross and motocross racer who has Type 1 diabetes.
Josh is starting his freshman year in the 450 Supercross class racing for Team MotoXXX. He finished 11th overall in the supercross Lites East and 10th overall in the 450 outdoor motocross class in 2006. In some of his spare time last year he raced the Big Buck GNCC, a three hour race, so he's no stranger to off-road endurance events.
Josh's teammates have not been finalized yet, but will be announced soon.
The first goal of this team is to raise awareness of diabetes - so help us accomplish that by simply clicking on the links at the end of this article and letting the learning begin.
The second goal of the team is to raise money for the ADA. This will be done in a jog-a-thon format. We're asking you to get involved and pledge a small amount of money for every mile the team covers during the 24 Hour Torture Test, coming up in the next few weeks. It is estimated that the team will cover 450 miles. You can put a cap on your commitment, because looking over Josh's racing resume, there's no telling how much ground this team is going to cover. A pledge of a penny a mile would wind up costing you about $4.50, and you can put a $5.00 cap on it. You can also give a flat fee donation - but that's not really as much fun.
HOW TO PLEDGE - Go to the message board here on dirtrider.com. Just click this link http://www.dirtrider.com//forums.dirtrider.primediaautomotive.com/dirtrideronline/start. In the future, just click MESSAGE BOARDS in the left navigation bar you see just over to the left. In the "General Discussion" folder, open the thread titled "DIABETES TEAM PLEDGES." If you're not a member, there will be instructions there on how to join (you have to join to make a pledge). It's all free and fairly painless. If you are already a member, please read the notice about the upcoming changes to the message board and what you need to do to retain your account.
Once you've made your pledge you're a part of this team. Stay tuned here for updates on the team and their progress. Once the checkered flag drops and the team's tough part is over, your tough part begins - paying. The team's final mileage will be announced here. You can then either send a check or call in with your credit card to the ADA. Please make sure to include "DIRT RIDER 24 HOUR" on your check's memo line, or mention it when you call. All money will go directly to the ADA.
After the test, mail checks to -American Diabetes AssociationPO Box 1131Fairfax, VA 22038-1131
Or call toll-free -1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383)Be prepared to provide:Contact information (name, address, phone) Credit card number and expiration date Don't forget to tell them its for the "Dirt Rider 24 Hour"
This team's genesis was on the dirtrider.com message board. A lot of the current members put in a lot of effort to get a similar project started, and what they did has morphed into a team with a very talented racer at its center, and a great opportunity to do some good for a good cause. I hope you'll participate.
Get a good general understanding of diabetes. You'll find there's a lot of information here as you start to search around this site -
Take a look at the pie chart on the right to see how an impressive 78% of any money you donate goes directly to research, advocacy, and services.
Learn more about the importance of exercise -