One thing that makes the Ride program so special at the Georgia Chapter is that the team is a family. Not only do riders form a tremendous bond with their teammates, but they also share the experience with members of their own families.

For the past several seasons, Ted Schwartz has participated in the Ride program. Being both a type 1 diabetic and the father of a type 1 diabetic, the Ride program hits close to home. In 2017, his wife (Cheryl) and son (Blake) decided to join him for the Amelia Island event. Together, they completed the ride and raised over $11,000 – making them the top fundraising family on the Georgia Team in 2017. To learn more about their story and why they Ride, see below.

From The Schwartz Family:

We first got involved with JDRF in 2011 when Blake was diagnosed with T1D. We participated in the Walk that year and our motivation for supporting JDRF was to help raise money to find a cure so that, one day, Ted and Blake wouldn’t have to live with diabetes. The next year, Ted participated in his first Ride and since has done a total of 5 rides.

In 2017, Blake wanted to ride for JDRF as his Bar Mitzvah project and signed up for the Amelia Island Ride with Ted. Not wanting to miss out on the fun, Cheryl decided to sign up as well.

The experience in Amelia was amazing! Though the weather was hot and challenging, we survived and loved being part of the large Georgia Chapter team. Also, participating as a family unit was wonderful because we all went through the same thing. For Blake, being a junior rider meant he had to ride with a parent on Ride Day, which was great because he always had a buddy to ride with. Crossing the finish line together was truly spectacular!

The Ride program is special because you get to see firsthand how the money you raise makes an impact. Specifically, the Ride Weekend celebration dinners are so motivating and touching, and being there with your chapter team is so special. You gather with hundreds of riders from across the country and get to see how hard everyone is working to raise money for a cure.

We’ll definitely be back in 2018 and hope you will join us!