Bicyclists raise funds for diabetes project (05/25/97)

Bicyclists raise funds for diabetes project

by Maria Lewytzkyj

PACIFICA, Calif. - Some people pay adventure tour companies large sums of money to be guided on bicycles on a tour of the infamous wine country of Northern California. On April 19, a fortunate few rode through the scenic valley in Windsor, winding their way near the Russian River in a bike-a-thon to raise funds for the Ukrainian Diabetes Project (UDP). The sky was cloudy, but provided a perfect temperature for bicycling.

"It's a fun way to raise money for kids who need help," said Jack Furr, one of the 30 riders.

The Ukrainian Diabetes Project has organized this annual bike-a-thon for two years. Andrea Skrypka, UDP's project director, along with a local team of dedicated organizers, requested each rider to seek out sponsors or donate a specified minimum contribution to participate. Some riders chose to pay the minimum, while others brought collections they had raised.

In return, riders selected a 25-mile or 100-kilometer course past such picturesque landscapes as a field of llamas, endless rows of tended vines and underpassing creeks, filled by the rains that threatened the ride the day before. All riders received certificates, a bag of prizes donated by sponsors, a UDP 1997 bike-a-thon T-shirt and a donated lunch by local Willie Bird's. Other sponsors of the bike-a-thon included Bayer, Power Bar and Starbuck's Coffee.

Last year's bike-a-thon raised $6,000. The funds allowed the UDP to return to Ukraine for the seventh year and provide 450 children in Cherkasy, Kharkiv and Ternopil with a year's supply of insulin, syringes, blood testing strips and education. The UDP plans to return in July to Ukraine to continue providing humanitarian aide and education.

Unfortunately, the Ukrainian government's recent decision to tax humanitarian aid (unless such shipments receive prior approval and thus are subject to an exemption) crucially affects UDP's efforts. "With such a high tax imposed [100 percent of the value of humanitarian aid is subject to tax], it will be very difficult to fulfill our mission and exceed last year's accomplishments," Ms. Skrypka explained after we both completed the 25-mile course.

I thought of the 100 children I met last summer at the Ternopil camp. These are the same 100 children who were disappointed by the premature end of camp when Ternopil authorities failed to pay their contracted share of the camp's cost.

This year, the program will have to focus on Kyiv instead of traveling to the various regions visited in the past. "We can't afford it. It appears that our main purpose will have to be to encourage the families we have helped in the past to get their supplies from an insulin factory in Kyiv," Ms. Skrypka explained. "We will still bring as much as we can, but the tax makes the process of getting aid to Ukrainian families formidable. This trip will have to focus on education and communicating the importance of action. While in Kyiv, we plan to meet with individuals from the regions we've worked in, in the past, to strategize ways we can continue to work together in the future."

During past visits, the UDP has tried to urge parents and medical professionals to become assertive and more demanding in their search for better diabetic care and education within Ukraine. Apparently still inexperienced with the forming democracy, many Ukrainians do not seem to recognize their own rights to demand attention. The UDP hopes that this summer's visit will bring home the urgency of this message.

In the meantime, another concern weighed on the UDP's ability to raise sufficient funds: the bike-a-thon turnout.

"I would love to have more Ukrainians involved in next year's bike-a-thon," Ms. Skrypka said. Most of the participating riders were either cyclists who had seen the posting for the event at local bike shops or were already involved in the organization's efforts. This year's event raised $4,000.

With a growing Ukrainian community in the San Francisco area, there should be more interest, especially since a project such as this thrives on the work of individuals. The event is a wonderful way to simultaneously help Ukrainian diabetic children and peacefully explore Northern California's beautiful wine country Ms. Skrypka noted. Call (707) 836-0931 to get information on the proposed and past services of the UDP and to sign up for the 1998 bike-a-thon or send e-mail to [email protected].

| Home Page |