Fifteen athletes are preparing for the ride of their lives. They are biking 240 miles – from Washington, D.C. to New York City – during the 2010 Miles for Smiles annual bike ride, which will kick off on October 7. The riders will bike the three-day journey to benefit Operation Smile, a worldwide children’s medical charity. Why 240 miles? Because it costs as little as $240 for Operation Smile to perform a cleft lip surgery, that changes a child’s life forever.
The 15 bikers are riding with one goal: to raise over $40,000 to support the global medical missions of Operation Smile. Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, Operation Smile provides free surgeries to children around the world suffering from cleft lips and cleft palates to heal their smiles and transform their lives. The need for cleft care is urgent. Every three minutes, it is estimated that a child somewhere in the world is born with a cleft condition. And one in 10 children born with a cleft will die before their first birthday.
For this year’s Miles for Smiles ride, the 15 bikers will leave from the Capital Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. and arrive three days later at the Southeast corner of Central Park in New York City.
The ride is very personal for one of the riders: Michael Connor. Last year, in honor of his late father, John Connor, Sr., Michael, along with his brother John and cousin Tommy Flynn, rode their bikes from New York City to Norfolk to raise money for Operation Smile’s 20th anniversary medical mission to Vietnam. John Connor, Sr. had helped orchestrate Operation Smile’s very first mission to Vietnam, 20 years earlier. With nothing more than a road map and a will to finish, Michael, John, and Tommy arrived in Norfolk, and raised valuable funds to help the children of Vietnam.
“The number of children around the world suffering from clefts is staggering, and we know that we can help make a difference in the lives of these children,” said Michael Connor. “While our journey may seem difficult, it is nothing compared to a child living a life of shame. With the Miles for Smiles annual bike ride, we are helping so many children move from a life of despair to a life filled with hope and joy. This was a passion for my father, and is equally so for us.”
To donate and find out more information about the Miles for Smiles bike ride and view the riders’ bios, please visit www.operationsmile.org/milesforsmiles. For updates on Operation Smile’s global efforts, visit the daily blogs on www.operationsmile.org, follow @operationsmile on Twitter, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/operationsmile.
About Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org)
Founded in 1982 by Dr. Bill and Kathy Magee, Operation Smile, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is a worldwide children’s medical charity whose network of global volunteers are dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children and young adults. Since its founding, Operation Smile has treated more than 150,000 children born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities and the organization has a presence in more than 50 countries. In addition to contributing free medical treatment, Operation Smile trains local medical professionals in its partner countries and leaves behind crucial equipment to lay the groundwork for long-term self-sufficiency.
