Echelon's Tour de France style cycling event set for Hurricane Ride in Washington State.

Jan. 20, 2011 - PRLog -- The Echelon Gran Fondo, a “Tour de France” style cycling event organized by PlanetZ/Echelon, will become the first organized cycling event of its kind in Washington state’s Olympic National Park this summer.

The July 23rd ride will benefit the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Survivorship Program and LIVESTRONG with four courses, including an exclusive challenge for just 500 cyclists on a course to the 5757-foot summit of Hurricane Ridge. Also available will be three other rides ranging from 30 to 100 miles between the towns of Kingston and Hadlock.

All participants will start the day with breakfast aboard a Washington State ferry departing from Edmonds. The rides then begin in Kingston and proceed through the hills of Kitsap County with the Super Gran Fondo finishing on the summit of Hurricane Ridge. A celebratory after-party will be held in Kingston. “No such ride has ever been produced like this and we wanted to offer something special for our Hutchinson Center and LIVESTRONG supporters,” said Echelon’s Executive Director, Hunter Ziesing. “We could not be more excited about this partnership as we intend to up the game in experience and funds raised for our primary beneficiary, the Hutchinson Center which has a LIVESTRONG Survivorship Center of Excellence.”

Distinct from the LIVESTRONG Challenge, which will not be returning to Seattle in 2011, the Echelon event will carry the torch outside of the urban environment to stage the event among the stunning scenery of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. LIVESTRONG local chair, Patrick Chatfield commented, “As a Seattle LIVESTRONG supporter and mentor for previous Challenges in the Northwest, I am thrilled to support the Echelon Gran Fondo this year, and excited about Echelon’s partnership and support of both beneficiaris for this event.  I invite previous Challenge participants to join us at this grassroots level in 2011.”

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Survivorship Program offers resources, support and education to survivors in the years after cancer treatment. Supported primarily by LIVESTRONG, the program is located in the outpatient clinic of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, which unites the cancer-care services of the Hutchinson Center, UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s. For more information visit http://www.fhcrc.org/survivorship.

Echelon, which also produces events in Tucson, Napa, Fort Collins, Palo Alto and Portland, recently became the largest operator of Gran Fondos in the U.S. The Echelon series, intended for cyclists of all levels, combines riding, racing and fundraising. The Gran Fondo events introduce what organizers call “Tour de France-style frivolity” to lighten the serious nature of fundraising. The fundamental difference from other charity rides is the ride itself, or, as Ziesing calls it, “theater on the roads.” Cyclists ride a “grand tour for a day.” At an Echelon event, a rider can expect announcers, balloons, cheerleaders, helicopters, live music, marching bands, epicurean treats, and a cast of characters a la Alpe d’Huez.

Cyclists will have the opportunity to fundraise or pay full registration. For more information on the Echelon Grand Fondo, or to register, visit http://www.echelongranfondo.org/seattle/register.html


About PlanetZ/Echelon:
PlanetZ, a non-profit global member organization, promotes human affairs including health, environment, and community. PlanetZ, strongly committed to the cycling community, creates events and fitness challenges to raise money for local and national cancer-focused institutions. LIVESTRONG® is Echelon’s national beneficiary. Each event city has its own locally named beneficiary for Echelon’s fundraising program. For more information, please visit http://www.echelongranfondo.org

About Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center:
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. FHCRC researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more information, please visit http://www.fhcrc.org.

About LIVESTRONG®
LIVESTRONG fights for the 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. There can be – and should be – life after cancer for more people. LIVESTRONG™ gives people the resources and support they need to fight cancer head-on, and finds innovative ways to raise awareness, fund research and end the stigma about cancer that many survivors face. LIVESTRONG connects people and communities to drive social change, and calls for state, national and world leaders to help fight this disease. For more information, please visit http://www.livestrong.org.