September stress relievers

by Andrea Powell, HPCCR Marketing Manager

It’s September 1^st which means we are looking right down the barrel at Labor Day, the official “end” of summer.  And so begins the days of desperately wearing our white shoes and toting our white purses one last time before we have to pack them away for another nine months.  And listening (once again) to our children bemoan the cruelty of homework.  (Seriously?  Talk to me again when you start college!)  And unwillingly becoming slaves (once again) to their forgotten project deadlines, their inability to remember upcoming tests, and their inherent lack of concern over the stress these aforementioned things cause us.

You know what’s a great stress reducer?  Exercise.

And we’ve got great exercise options!  If a fun, scenic biking challenge is what you’re looking for, come join us on Labor Day (Monday, September 7) for Pedal The Park.  It boasts two different rides — 30-mile and 60-mile — leaving from Levine & Dickson Hospice House – Huntersville.  Both self-paced rides meander through Mecklenburg and surrounding counties on well-marked courses.  And you’ll have a delicious buffet waiting for you when you finish.

Pedal The Park registration begins at 8am.  The 60-mile ride starts at 9am, and the 30-miler at 9:30.  And there’s even a short family fun ride at 10am.  So you can’t complain that you have limited options.  Visit our page at racesonline.com to register!

If Pedaling The Park’s not your thing, you can Hit the Brixx instead.  Meet us at the uptown location of Brixx Pizza (225 E. 6th St.) on Saturday, September 12 for a 10K and / or a 5K.  The 10K starts at 7:45am and the 5K begins at 9am, perfectly timed so you over-achievers can do both races if you so choose.  And the best part?  The pizza and beer waiting for you at the finish line.  It is, without a doubt, the most fun after-race celebration in town!  You can register for Hit the Brixx at http://runforyourlife.com/brixx10k5k/.

So join us for either or both of these events!  We can’t promise that doing so will make your kids more responsible about homework, tests, and projects but after all the physically demanding stress relief we’re providing, you just might throw away those boarding school brochures.  At least until next year.

Proceeds from Pedal The Park benefit Levine & Dickson Hospice House – Huntersville and proceeds from Hit The Brixx benefit Kids Path^®, our pediatric program.  For more information, contact Nancy Cole, Director of Special Events at colen@hpccr.org or call 704.375.0100.

End of summer means time to pedal

by Andrea Powell, HPCCR Electronic Communications Manager

Did you eat a lot of ice cream this summer?  I didn’t.  Well, not until I went to Des Moines, Iowa and found my new obsession: frozen custard.  In five days, I forced my husband to take me there three times because they have created a magical concoction in a bowl called caramel cashew.  It is truly life-changing.

What’s the segue here, you ask?  Well, that Iowa trip signaled the end of summer for me.  And the end of summer signifies getting back into a routine which means (sadly) no more custard, no more vacations for a while, and a return to some serious exercise.

So if you feel the same way, I’ve got a great exercise option for you that is right around the corner.  Pedal The Park.  On Labor Day, September 2.  Which is this coming Monday for those of you keeping track of your calendar.

Pedal The Park is an annual event held at Levine & Dickson Hospice House – Huntersville with 30 and 60-mile ride options that meander through Mecklenburg and surrounding counties on well-marked courses.  These are not races; they are self-paced rides.  You’ll have a blast, there are tons of very nice people participating, and the food at the finish is delectable.

Registration starts at 8am.  The 60-mile ride starts at 9am, and the 30-miler starts at 9:30.  And there’s even a short family fun ride that starts at 11am.  So you can’t complain that you have limited options.

If I’ve convinced you about how great this event is, go ahead to www.sportoften.com and register to join us at Pedal The Park.  You won’t regret it.

Speaking of regrets, the only ones I have are that Des Moines is 1,058 miles from Charlotte and Classic Frozen Custard (the name of the place that made my sweet tooth so happy) doesn’t ship.  But maybe that’s not such a bad thing.  I’m sure my thighs would agree.

Caramel cashew frozen custard. You’ll never be the same after trying it.

 

The best story of the day

Martin McNally, after the 30-mile ride

by Andrea Powell, HPCCR Electronic Communications Manager

I spent a lot of time on Monday at Pedal The Park talking to folks who had come out to support our organization (an enormous “thank you” to all of y’all, by the way).  There were some great stories out there and I met some inspiring people.  Such as:

The mayor of Huntersville, Jill Swain, stopped by for a tour of Levine & Dickson Hospice House and to see what Pedal The Park was all about.  Believe me, she’s awesomely dynamic.  David Kirkpatrick, prostate cancer survivor, came out to ride 30 miles before heading to England to spend time at the renovated cottage (it used to be a jail and police station!) that he and his wife now own.  An inspiring man if I ever met one.  Robert Wydra and his family participated in the fun ride in support of Robert’s dad who passed away at LDHH in June.  A dedicated and wonderful family.  And Michael Levine, a lawyer at Mills Levine in Mooresville (and one of our generous sponsors), rode the 30 mile loop with his son on a tandem bicycle.  They made quite the pair!

But there was one story that stood out.  And that was Martin’s story.

When Martin McNally pulled up to LDHH on Monday, he got an eerie feeling.  He’s from Lancaster, SC so he’s not completely familiar with the Huntersville area.  But he had a suspicion that this might be the place where his brother’s sister-in-law (I know it’s confusing, but stay with me here) spent her last days.  A call to his brother quickly confirmed that his suspicion was correct. 

Elizabeth Varol Lee lost her battle to pancreatic cancer at Levine & Dickson Hospice House one year ago this week.  The room that she stayed in, number 16, has been dedicated to her memory.  Martin was overwhelmed to realize that the ride he had casually signed up for was taking place in a location that has become sacred to his family. 

Turns out, Martin has a big family.  A really big, close-knit family.  He’s one of 9 siblings (two sets of twins!) and you can imagine how big it gets when you factor in all the marriages and grandchildren.  But, according to Martin, every in-law that marries into the family is cherished from the minute they say “I do”.  And the extended family relationships they build with each other are as strong as any of the ones they have with their “blood” relatives.

So even though Elizabeth (or Liz as they called her) was his brother’s sister-in-law, Martin knew her and loved her.  And he couldn’t stop the tears when he talked about her and how proud she would have been to see him at Pedal The Park, supporting the mission of the organization that cared for her, with infinite love and respect, during her final days. 

Martin truly rode in Liz’s memory on Monday.  She’s been on his mind anyway, given that we’re approaching the anniversary of her passing.  But it was a much more emotional ride than he had anticipated.  And definitely more meaningful. 

Life has a funny way of putting us where we need to be, at the time when we need to be there.  I call it divine intervention; you might call it something else.  But all I know is that Martin was meant to ride Pedal The Park this year.  He thinks so too.  And he’s determined to get his entire family signed up for the ride next year.

Having served more than 1,500 patients, Levine & Dickson Hospice House has many untold stories.  But a chance encounter with a rider sitting by himself, eating his lunch, brought this one to life.  Divine intervention?  Oh, I think so.

Special thanks to Cricket Weston for approaching Martin in the first place and finding out that he had a story to tell!

An unforgettable ride

They say you never forget how to ride a bike.  Let’s hope that’s the case.  Because we’re going to have a few hundred riders at Levine & Dickson Hospice House on Labor Day for Pedal The Park.  And we don’t need a mess of broken bones on our hands!

For those of you looking for something rewarding to do this Labor Day, it’s not too late to sign up!  Pedal The Park is not a competitive race, so there’s no pressure.  It’s a great ride — either 30 or 60 miles — through Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, and Iredell counties.  Or, if you’re feeling a little less motivated (you don’t want to labor on Labor Day?) you can join us for a short, 3-mile, family-friendly fun ride through The Park Huntersville (the business park surrounding LDHH).

And you wanna know the best part?  There’s great food — lots of it — afterward.  Mac’s Speed Shop, Boardwalk Billy’s, Sonny’s Bar-B-Q, and Stratos Restaurant Group (you know, the folks that bring you the very delicious food from Nolen Kitchen, Ilios Noche, and Big View Diner) are all going to contribute their delicacies.  As are a number of other generous donors (we’re talking about you, Orange Bakery, Kelloggs, Honest Tea, US Foodservice, Bi-Lo, and Snyder’s – Lance!)  All those hills will be completely worth it by the time you cross the finish line and can dive into a plate full of yumminess!

The 60-mile ride will start at 9am and the 30-mile ride will follow 30 minutes later.  The family fun ride will take place at 11am.  It’s going to be an action-packed, fun day, raising money for a wonderful and worthy cause.  Plus, the t-shirts are really awesome.  What more could you ask for on a non-work holiday??

So bring your wheels and yourself out to Levine & Dickson Hospice House for Pedal The Park on Monday.  Just like you never forget how to ride a bike, you’ll never forget this amazing experience either.  (Except for the hills.  We hope you forget those.  If you don’t like hills, that is.  And your sore booty.  That’ll get better, we promise.  Food.  Just focus on the food.  And come back next year for more fun.)

A Labor (Day) of love

When Scott Pennington and his sister, Leigh Kosteryz, saw the scheduled date for Pedal The Park, they knew it was meant to be.   Labor Day.  September 6.  Their mother’s birthday.

You see, their mother, Mary Kay Pennington, was a patient at Levine & Dickson Hospice House.   She passed away from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma on May 21 of this year after eight days at the facility.  Scott says that he and his family were so grateful for the care Mary Kay received there.  “It was an amazing place.  We pretty much moved in.  It was comfortable and comforting, and we could tell that the staff really cared about us.” 

So when they saw that Pedal The Park would take place on their mother’s birthday, they knew they had to participate.  Coincidentally, Leigh is a spin instructor in her hometown of Sparta, NC.  She was able to round up 15 or so of her spin class regulars to make the trip to Huntersville and Scott was able to convince a couple more friends to ride.  They called themselves the Pedal Pushers and they showed up on September 6 in bright purple t-shirts, ready to ride in memory of a wonderful woman who devoted  her life to love and family.

On the back of Scott and Leigh’s t-shirts it said, “Riding For Our Angel Mom”.  And on Labor Day this year, their “angel Mom” gave them wings.  The ride felt great and the crew will be coming back again next year to continue their support of Levine & Dickson Hospice House.  There might have been some labor in the ride, but more importantly, there was a whole lot of love.

Leigh Kosteryz (l) and her brother, Scott Pennington, rode Pedal the Park in memory of their mom, Mary Kay.

Pedal The Park for your heart (and your stomach)

Are you looking for something fun and challenging to do on Labor Day?  Well, look no more.  Grab your bike and your helmet and head on up to The Park Huntersville.  On September 6, Levine & Dickson Hospice House will host its 3rd annual Pedal The Park, a 30 or 60-mile bike ride (your choice!) through Mecklenburg, Iredell, and Cabarrus counties.  There’s also a 5-mile family fun ride, so you can bring the kids too.

The food afterward will be worth the effort.  Stratos Restaurant Group (you know Ilios Noche, Nolen Kitchen, and Big View Diner?  Yep, that’s them!)  will be catering the event, so you know that your empty stomach will be in for a treat.  But you have to register if you want to eat, so make sure to sign up before Monday!

The fun begins at 8am with registration and check-in.  The 60-mile ride will start promptly at 9am, followed by the 30-mile ride at 9:30.  The post-ride celebration kicks off at 12:30.

Hey, you’ve been dining out a lot lately for HPCCR, so isn’t it now time to get some exercise on our behalf too?  Your heart will reap the rewards–physically and emotionally–by getting great excercise and by supporting hospice care in your community.  So get on out and pedal to your heart’s content.  We’ll see you at the finish line!