2016RAO 1The 6th Annual rideATAXIA Orlando was again held at Waterfront Park in Clermont, Florida on Sunday, November 13, 2016. The weather was absolutely perfect for the 325 riders! The morning was cool (for Florida) and sunny. The combination of all the team’s efforts raised more than $100,000!!!

On a personal level, it was extremely fun being a part of the fund-raising effort and having a great time doing so with everyone at the park that day. My team was very small, but I surpassed my fundraising goal. My small team consisted of my sister, her 12-year-old twins, and Kyle Bryant. You may have heard of that last guy. ;) My sister and one of her kids even road a tandem bike, which I think is pretty cool. My sister and her kids had such a good time that they already committed to doing the ride next year. Be on the lookout for my team in the future, the FAntastic Voyagers. 

2016RAO2My wife and I brought our pug, Angel. She is part of the FAmily, so how could she miss it? Some really great things happened during the fund-raising effort for my team. My wife has a small Instagram page for Angel. From there, we received a donation from a fellow pug-lover in the UK. So we raised awareness and little money thanks to my dog.

It really is true what Kyle says about turning that crank toward a cure: Our small efforts keep building momentum and raising funds for FA research. It feels really good to be a part of the team, Team FARA. We also have all the wonderful sponsors to thank as well as the volunteers. The day would not have been possible without them. As much as I love my personal team, and attempting to raise more money than other teams, the fact is still the same: We are all one FAmily. It sure was a fun day with a lot of wonderful people. I enjoyed talking to old friends and meeting new friends. I look forward to seeing you all—and more people—in Clermont next year.

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