FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –
Contact: Chris McEwan
Office: 646.292.7939
Email: cmcewan@esiason.org
The Boomer Esiason Foundation (BEF) is excited to announce the launch of its newest Team Boomer event series, Bike to Breathe, which kicks off with Jerry and Em’s Great CF Adventure – a journey that will take the two cystic fibrosis (CF) advocates on a 500-mile bike ride from Cary, N.C. to Baltimore, Md.
Jerry Cahill and Emily Schaller will start their ride from the Chiesi USA headquarters, located at 1255 Crescent Green, Cary, N.C. 27518, at 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 15, 2014.
The Team Boomer event series encourages people with CF and their families to stay active and exercise in order to stay healthy.
Cahill is a 58-year-old CF patient and double lung transplant survivor who is living proof that an active, healthy lifestyle positively affects his quality of life. He is currently BEF’s CF Ambassador, volunteering for the Foundation to help the CF community in the here and now.
Schaller is a 32-year-old CF patient who started cycling, running and exercising in 2007, when she was introduced to Cahill’s story, because she was “sick of being sick.” At the same time, she started the Rock CF Foundation to heighten public awareness about her disease and to raise money for research.
Jerry and Em’s Great CF Adventure route is as follows:
- Day 1 (Sept. 15) – Cary, N.C. to Rocky Mount, N.C.
- Day 2 (Sept. 16) – Rocky Mount, N.C. to Murfreesboro, N.C.
- Day 3 (Sept. 17) – Murfreesboro, N.C. to Norfolk, Va.
- Day 4 (Sept. 18) – Norfolk, Va. to Williamsburg, Va.
- Day 5 (Sept. 19) – Williamsburg, Va. – Richmond, Va.
- Day 6 (Sept. 20) – Richmond, Va. to Fredericksburg, Va.
- Day 7 (Sept. 21) – Fredericksburg, Va. to Washington, D.C.
- Day 8 (Sept. 22) – Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Md.
Johns Hopkins Hospital, located at 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, Md. 21287, will host Cahill and Schaller for a speaking engagement on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014, where they will share their stories and update everyone on their journey.
For updates on Jerry and Em’s Great CF Adventure, please follow them on Twitter at @jcahillYCF, @RockCFem, the BEF Twitter at @Cysticfibrosis or #CFBikeAdventure. The BEF Facebook page also will share updates throughout the journey – http://www.facebook.com/BoomerEsiasonFoundation.
Cahill, Schaller and the Boomer Esiason Foundation would like to thank Chiesi USA, Genentech, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Marriott and Penta Water, whose generosity made this event possible.
The Boomer Esiason Foundation
Throughout his career in professional sports and the media, Boomer Esiason has been a committed and active participant in many charitable causes, but he began focusing on cystic fibrosis in 1993 when his son, Gunnar, was diagnosed with the disease. That same year, Esiason and his wife, Cheryl, launched the Boomer Esiason Foundation, a dynamic partnership of leaders in the medical and business communities joining with a committed core of volunteers to heighten awareness, education and quality of life for those affected by cystic fibrosis, while providing financial support to research aimed at finding a cure. For more information, go to www.esiason.org.
The Bike to Breathe Sprinter Van will transport Jerry and Em’s support team of four people along with Jerry & Em. The van will carry essentials including four bikes, bike tool kits (tubes, tires, chains, etc.), nutrition and hydration for the ride, first aid kit, detailed map of route, detailed information on hospitals along the route, etc. Additionally, a second vehicle for Jerry & Em will follow that will transport medications for Jerry & Em and other essential resources.
Jerry and Em’s Great CF Adventure: Jerry Cahill is a 58-year-old CF patient and double lung transplant survivor who is living proof that an active, healthy lifestyle positively affects his quality of life.
Emily Schaller is a 32-year-old CF patient who started cycling, running, and exercising in 2007, when she was introduced to Jerry’s story, because she was “sick of being sick.”