PH Community Ramps Up Support of Campaign

Team PHenomenal Hope is ramping up its training as the race draws near – and our Race of Our Lives campaign is ramping up, too! PH community members from all over are continuing to show support of the team by organizing even more events and virtual pages to raise funds for PH research and patient programs.

Thank you to all those who have already supported the Race of Our Lives campaign and those who are continuing to support!

Below are the newest additions of events and virtual fundraising pages from the community for the Race of Our Lives campaign:

Events

• The PHenomenal Mile
  April 12, 2014
  Nationwide
• 3rd Walk 2 Cure PH – The Ellie Godina Memorial Walk
  April 12, 2014
  Euclid, Ohio
• PHenomenal Hope 5K Run/Walk
  April 13, 2014
  Pittsburgh, Pa.
• PHA Midwest Chapter – Race of Our Lives Spin Events
  Multiple dates:  March 13, April 12, June 14
  Northbrook, Ill.

Virtual Fundraising Pages

• Nichole Holland Bardwell’s Page
• In Memory of Ashley Burkey Page

We will continue to update on Race of Our Lives events and pages as they are added between now and June!

Twice As Nice: Two PH Patients Hit 1,000 Mile Marks!

Two PH patients, who are cycling 3,000 miles each in honor of PHA and Team PHenomenal Hope, have surpassed the 1,000 mile marks on their journeys! Within the last week, both Josh Griffis and Kathleen Richardson have completed one-third of their goals and have continued to add to that since.

A big congratulations goes out to these two for their dedication to the PH cause and the Race of Our Lives campaign. We can’t wait to see them both cross the 3,000 mile mark. Here’s to the next 2,000 miles!

Josh Griffis

Josh Griffis, otherwise known as “The PH Peddler,” began his quest to bike 3,000 miles in September 2013 and is focused on completing his goal by June 2014 – just in time for Race Across America. Not only is Josh cycling to raise awareness of PH, but also funds. He is challenging himself to raise $15,000 for the PH cause. To reach this goal, Josh has created a virtual fundraising page that allows people to support his efforts by sponsoring miles that he cycles. Visit Josh’s virtual fundraising page

You can follow along with Josh’s journey on Facebook, where he documents his daily rides and updates to his total. Head on over to Josh’s page and leave your well wishes and words of encouragement for him!

Kathleen Richardson

If Kathleen sounds familiar, it is because we previously blogged about her and an interview Team PHenomenal Hope conducted with her. You can read the full story about Kathleen in our earlier blog post. On Jan. 11, Kathleen officially passed the 1,000 mile mark after only starting her challenge two months prior! Kathleen also documents her rides on a Facebook page dedicated to her challenge – so be sure to follow along.

We will continue to post amazing updates from Josh, Kathleen and others who are participating in various challenges to support Team PHenomenal Hope. Want to plan your own challenge to continue supporting the Race of Our Lives campaign? Visit our website for more information on how to plan a Unity Miles event or set up a virtual fundraising page.

PH Patient Plans to Bike 3,000 miles in Unity Miles Challenge

'Tis the season ... of giving!

Pulmonary hypertension patient, Kathleen Richardson, recently kicked off a virtual fundraising challenge in support of the Race of Our Lives campaign and our friends, Team PHenomenal Hope. Between Nov. 1, 2013 and June 14, 2014, Kathleen plans to ride 3,000 miles on bike, which for anyone — especially a PH patient — is quite a feat! Her goal is to raise $3,000 — $1 for each mile that she rides, which will help support PH research and programs for patients. To meet that goal, Kathleen is asking friends, family, community members — basically anyone and everyone — to give a donation to her virtual page.

Recently, Kathleen was a featured story on Team PHenomenal Hope's blog. The team interviewed Kathleen and got the inside scoop on her diagnosis story and how cycling fits into her life. Below is an excerpt from the interview:

How and when did you start cycling?
I always loved riding my bike as a kid. I loved to just take off on long rides and did that on and off up through college, but was not really what I would call a “serious” cyclist (not sure I’m a “serious” cyclist still ... but I love to ride!). I started riding with a purpose after I was diagnosed with PH.

Want to learn more about Kathleen? Head over to Team PHenomenal Hope's blog to read on!

Interested in starting your own virtual fundraising page to support the Race of Our Lives campaign? Learn more and get started.

On Bikes, On Foot... PH Activists Tackle High Endurance Races

As we watch Team Phenomenal Hope gear up for the Race Across America (RAAM) in June 2014, we can’t help but be amazed at the extreme things people have done on behalf of the PH community.

Anthony Sheridan of the UK participated in the Marathon de Sables—six days of marathons – across the Sahara Desert earlier this year on behalf of PHA UK. The Marathon de Sables is considered the toughest footrace in the world, and the course tops 150 miles across sand dunes in temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit! More than 1000 individuals competed in the 2013 marathon – which was a new participation record.

If Anthony can take on the Marathon de Sables, anything is possible! Read more about Anthony and his journey on behalf of PHA UK.

 

You too can join in a race on behalf of the PH community! Plan a Unity Miles event to support Team PHenomenal Hope through the Race of Our Lives campaign. Unity Miles events don’t need to be a cross-country race or an endurance event, just an opportunity to gather together while raising awareness and funds for the PH cause. Learn more about planning a Unity Miles event at www.PHAssociation.org/RaceOfOurLives/UnityMilesEvents.

Awareness Month Unity Miles Events!

Unity Miles event organizer and PH patient
Merle Reeseman with Team PHenomenal Hope
members Ryanne Palermo and Dr. Patricia George

People in the PH community are showing their support of Team PHenomenal Hope by organizing Unity Miles events this Awareness Month in honor of the Race of Our Lives campaign. These events not only raise awareness for PH, but also the funds necessary to support research and patient-serving programs.

These Unity Miles events are coming up in November:

Roger Wood’s Marathon 

Nov. 10, 2014

Naperville, Ill.

Puyallup Six-Minute Marathon

Nov. 16, 2014
Puyallup, Wash.

Alex Flipse’s 30 Miles in 30 Days
Month of November
Silver Spring, Md.

Interested in planning your own United Miles event? PHA will be your pit crew! Visit www.PHAssociation.org/RaceOfOurLives/UnityMilesEvents to learn more about organizing an event in your local community.

Dynamic Duo Dedicated Month of Walking to Race of Our Lives

Diane Ramirez and Janet McCabe are two PH patients from N.C., who, like other PH community members from all over, have embraced Team PHenomenal Hope and its goal of racing 3,000 miles across the U.S. in nine days to raise awareness and funds for pulmonary hypertension (PH) research and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA).

Diane Ramirez and Janet set their own challenge alongside Team PHenomenal Hope. This dynamic duo dedicated an entire month of walking to the PH community and the Race of Our Lives campaign. In their 30-day challenge, Diane and Janet planned to walk 100 miles collectively, while raising $1,500 for PHA.

Diane and Janet at the zebra
exhibit at the zoo.

These ladies challenged themselves to complete their goals by Oct. 24, and we cheered them on every step – and mile – of the way! They even took their challenge to the North Carolina zoo, where they walked more than six miles together and even stopped to take photos outside the zebra exhibit, a reminder of PHA’s zebra-themed early diagnosis campaign, Sometimes it’s PH.

We are happy to report that together they met their goal!

Want to support Race of Our Lives, yourself or with others? Learn how you can start your own virtual fundraising page. It’s as easy as including information about PH and PHA on your page, choosing a fundraising goal and sending the link out to your family and friends. PHA staff is on hand to give you pointers and to help you get started.

You can also consider planning a Unity Miles Event in your local area to empower your community to join the Race of Our Lives campaign and support PHA and Team PHenomenal Hope. With PHA staff as your pit crew, learn more about how you can plan a Unity Miles Event and help raise awareness and funds for the cause.

Medical Professionals Embrace Race of Our Lives at PHPN Symposium

A Symposium attendee signs the banner
for Team PHenomenal Hope.

Medical professionals from all over the country showed their solidarity with Team PHenomenal Hope and the Race of Our Lives campaign last week at the PHPN Symposium, PHA’s education event for allied health professionals. At Symposium, six medical professionals pledged to hold new fundraising events to embrace the PH cause. Be on the lookout for these events and many more over the next few months leading up to the bike race!

Our medical professionals are an integral part of the PH community and their support of Team PHenomenal Hope is inspiring! PHA used Symposium as the debut of the Race of Our Lives campaign among professionals, more than 400 of whom attended.

Professionals viewed a video introducing Team PHenomenal Hope, received print material about their endeavors, and sent their messages of encouragement by signing a banner for Team PHenomenal Hope. We will be sending the banner to the team as a gift to hang up in their training location and help inspire and cheer them on over the months leading up to the race.

Race of Our Lives allows everyone touched by PH – patients, families, friends and medical professionals –  to be part of this coast-to-coast trek symbolic of the PH journey. Learn more about how you can host your own fundraising event or set-up a virtual fundraising page in support of the campaign.