Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), a nonprofit organization that provides assistant dogs for people with a wide range of disabilities, is trying to get the word out about its services in San Diego by targeting active ” and in this case, extremely athletic ” community members.
The organization will hold its first 20-mile fun bike ride fund-raiser on Sunday, Oct. 22, with celebrity cyclists, including 2006 Tour de France, Tour of California and Tour of Georgia champion Floyd Landis.
“It’s something we haven’t tried before, and bike riding is a very popular pastime in San Diego,” said Davielle Huffman, CCI development associate and event chair. “The objective is to raise money but to also raise awareness, and it’s inspiring that these athletes who are blessed with strong, able bodies are dedicated to helping out this organization and people with disabilities.”
About 100 community members have already registered for the race, which begins at The Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa and circles around the Pacific coast to Encinitas and back to La Jolla. The race will be capped off at 250 participants. Registration ends Oct. 19.
Landis has been involved with CCI fund-raisers since last year. Several of the celebrity cyclists have relatives who may need the support of an assistant dog at some point in their lives, Huffman said.
The dogs that CCI uses are trained for six to eight months to learn 50 strict behavioral commands from professional trainers at CCI. After receiving training, dogs can help people with disabilities complete everyday tasks, such as getting around in public areas, picking up items around the house and alerting people that something is happening.
The organization partners about 10 people with the assistant dogs at a time and puts them through a two-week course that helps the dog and its master become comfortable with each other.
Because CCI is a nonprofit organization that doesn’t receive government funding, it relies on personal donations and annual fund-raisers to be able to continue its services, according to Huffman.
Last year’s fund-raiser, which raised about $18,000, auctioned off a day with Landis. If the ride sells out, CCI will more than triple that amount this year, Huffman said.
Although funding is important, the real significance of the bike ride will be to get the organization’s message across, Huffman said.
“It’s a way to reach out to the community in a different way, and to reach out to a demographic that we might not typically target,” Huffman said. “We are a pretty well-kept secret out there. People really don’t know what we are about. We thought with Floyd’s support, and other cyclists’ support, we might draw more people from the active community and get their attention.”
Registration for the bike ride is $120, which includes a jersey and a lunch after the race. A fund-raising minimum of $250 is required to participate, and those who generate $1,000 or more in donations will attend a VIP breakfast with the celebrity cyclists on race morning.
A dinner, featuring cycling celebrities Landis, Axel Merckx, Sarah Hammer, Jimena Florit, Alejandro Albor, Greg Demgen, Steve Hegg, Robbie Ventura and Pete and Joanne Penseyres will be held the evening of Saturday, Oct. 21. CCI students will present their assistant dog stories. Tickets are limited and cost $175.
For information, registration or dinner tickets, call Huffman, (760) 901-4306, or visit www.cci-wowfunbikeride2006.kintera.org.