NEWS

Local Businesses Help Power ADA's Tour de Cure Toward $1.1 Million Fundraising Goal

ALBANY, N.Y. (June 27, 2017) — Ten Capital Region companies and groups are driving the American Diabetes Association (ADA) one step closer to attaining its $1.1 million fundraising goal through the recent Saratoga Springs Tour de Cure cycling event, the premier cycling event in the Capital Region dedicated to finding a cure for diabetes.

Top teams

Businesses and groups leading the way include: Kivort Steel Cycling Team (Waterford, N.Y.) $112,330, Davidson Brothers Drafters (Davidson Brothers Brewing Company, Glens Falls, N.Y.) $39,299, GLOBALFOUNDRIES (Malta, N.Y.) $33,539, CommerceHub Riders (Albany, N.Y) $18,937, AYCO Riders (Albany, N.Y.) $16,739, Albany Medical Center (Albany, N.Y.) $15,592, Wildcats (Tokyo Electron, Albany, N.Y.) $15,283, Team Gotbeer (DeCrescente Distributing Company, Mechanicville, N.Y.) $12,826, Team Red Saratoga Springs (Albany, N.Y.) $12,401, and SI Group Catalysts (Schenectady, N.Y) $12,005.

“These companies have helped us raise $288,971 of the $707,000 accounted for so far,” said ADA Market Executive Director Nicole DeCelle. “They should be commended for not only being loyal Tour participants, but also for their dedication to helping us forward our mission of preventing and curing diabetes and improving the lives of the two million New Yorkers currently living with the disease.”

Many of the companies that take part in the annual event, which is designed for everyone from the novice biker to the experienced cyclist and includes 10-, 30-, 50-, 62.5- and 100-mile routes, have a close connection to the ADA’s mission.

“Our involvement in the Tour de Cure is pretty simple,” explained Kivort Steel Owner Rob Kivort, whose company has raised $900,000+ since its inception nine years ago and was the number four-ranked fundraising team in the nation last year. “My brother is a diabetic and I really like to cycle. It really is a perfect marriage in terms of this company’s involvement.”

Kivort

For Davidson Brothers Drafters, the event’s #2 fundraising team and #5 team nationally in 2016, the company’s Tour team helps support the Davidson Brothers’ mission to foster the betterment of the community and provide significant and meaningful impact to its residents.

“We are so proud of our team which has raised more than $37,000 this year and $400,000 since 2010,” said Team Captain Todd Eicher. “Such an accomplishment could not be achieved without the energy and support of our sponsors and Red Riders (team members living with diabetes) who help us gain national recognition year after year.”

“All of these teams are truly amazing. Year after year they raise their game and increase their fundraising goals,” added DeCelle. “Their success bringing in funds enables us to make a real difference in the lives of local residents through educational programs, literature and lifestyle programs and services; fighting for the rights of people with diabetes against discrimination; and providing grants to researchers to learn more about the causes of diabetes, better the treatment of the disease and ultimately to find a cure.”

Monies from the June 4, 2017 Saratoga Tour de Cure continue to flow in. Those wishing to make a donation can still do so at diabetes.org/Saratoga.

The Saratoga Springs Tour de Cure’s fundraising efforts have made it the Capital Region’s largest fundraising event for the past several years, according to the Albany Business Review.

This graphic shows the total dollars raised by each company through June 19, 2017:

Tour Fundraisers

Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation’s leading non-profit health organization whose mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by the disease. The association serves the community by funding research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes, providing credible information about the disease, giving voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes, and delivering services to people with diabetes, their families and health care professionals. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org.