The 2019 JDRF Ride to Cure season is in full-swing, with two of the five Ride events already taking place. The 2019 season has already broken records in terms of participation and dollars raised for research. Since there is so much happening within the Ride and lots of exciting news to share, we thought it would be a great idea to provide you with a mid-season update!

The first event of the JDRF Ride season took place in La Crosse on August 8th – 11th. The JDRF Ride in La Crosse featured 660 riders (a new record!) from 37 Chapters across the country. Team Western Wisconsin was very well represented with 78 Honey Badgers taking part in the event! Our Chapter’s team was recognized as one of the top fundraising teams in the country, raising more than $170,000. Overall, the event raised an incredible $2.1 million to help advance life-changing type 1 diabetes (T1D) research! In addition to all of the success with recruitment and fundraising, Team Western Wisconsin was also fortunate enough to have TWO members of our team receive Special Jersey Awards. These individuals have been tireless in their efforts to find a cure for T1D and we are incredibly grateful and proud to have them on our side, fighting for a cure:

• Spirit Jersey – The Spirit Jersey is awarded to a person that exemplifies the spirit of the JDRF Ride Program and has always gone above and beyond to help others succeed. The winner of this jersey in La Crosse was Lisa Ruth Krueger, Lisa Ruth just participated in her 10th Ride to Cure and has been a pivotal part of the Honey Badgers success since the beginning. Check out this link to see what she said about being the recipient of the Spirit Jersey. Congratulations, Lisa Ruth!
• Volunteer Dedication – The Volunteer Dedication Jersey is given out to an enthusiastic volunteer who works hard on Ride Day and shows their leadership and selflessness. Bobbi Howell, longtime Team Western Wisconsin and Ride volunteer, was the recipient of this award! Bobbi volunteers at every ride her husband, Coach Chris participates in and does so with a smile. Thank you, Bobbi, for all you do!

Following the amazing start to the season in La Crosse, the next JDRF Ride to Cure event took place from August 22nd – 25th in Sonoma, CA. This was the first time in a decade that a JDRF Ride took place out in Northern California and it did not disappoint! More than 550 riders from 54 Chapters across the country participated in the “inaugural” JDRF Ride in Sonoma. The event featured a small, but mighty group of 11 Honey Badgers. These riders were able to experience all that Northern California has to offer: beautiful vineyards, plenty of rolling hills, and TACOS! In the end, the JDRF Ride to Cure in Sonoma set the record for the largest single-day fundraising event (and largest JDRF Ride) in history, with more than $3.1 million raised! It was an incredible event, made even better by the phenomenal people.

The next JDRF Ride event is taking place from September 12th – 15th in Saratoga Springs, NY. Team Western Wisconsin does not have any riders participating in the event, but we will still share all about the Ride once it’s completed. Following Saratoga Springs, there are two Rides happening in October, both of which have Honey Badgers participating. Stay tuned for more updates about Team Western Wisconsin and the record-breaking JDRF Ride to Cure season!