Local Encinitas Foundation Hits $1 Million Fundraising Goal And Hosts Cycling Event To Cure ALS

Photo Credits: Courtesy of Team Godfather Charitable Foundation

Team Godfather Charitable Foundation announced today that it will host the fifth-annual Bike 4 Mike charity cycling event on Sunday, March 19 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in Del Mar, Calif. Bike 4 Mike, an affiliate of als.net/ALS Therapy Development Institute, benefits Team Godfather Charitable Foundation’s vision to find a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), while honoring local Michael Ramirez from Carlsbad, Calif., who courageously battled and later passed away from the disease.

ALS, also known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to paralysis and eventually death. There are approximately 30,000 people in the United States living with ALS, and the average patient survives only two to five years from receiving their diagnosis. There is no effective treatment and no cure.

The Bike 4 Mike coastal-community bicycle tour is the only bike event hosted at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, and which offers distances of 10, 25, 50 and 62 miles. Team Godfather is known for putting the FUN in fundraising and 2017 will be no exception. The event will feature a post-ride “Thanks a Million Party” in celebration of Team Godfather surpassing its fundraising goal of $1 million. The after party will feature vendor booths, music and food and beverages, as well as a raffle for prizes, including a stay at La’Auberge Del Mar, an Electric Bike from Pedego Solana Beach, San Diego Padres tickets, and more.

The ride is held in honor of Michael Ramirez, who was diagnosed with ALS in September 2009 and passed away from the disease in April 2012. Ramirez was a commercial banker for 35 years, and he served on numerous non-profit and foundation boards. He was always active, playing football while studying at the University of San Diego and participating in marathons, triathlons and long-distance cycling races. Shortly after his diagnosis, Mike and his wife, Maureen, came together with family and friends in 2010 to co-found Team Godfather, a non-profit dedicated to searching for a cure for ALS through fundraising.

Through various fundraising efforts, Team Godfather supports the ALS Therapy Development Institute – a nonprofit biotech in Cambridge, Mass. whose scientists actively work to discover and develop treatments and a cure for ALS. Fundraising events like Bike 4 Mike help fund crucial research projects at the Institute, including its Precision Medicine Program, which empowers people living with ALS to participate in the quest for a cure.

Bike 4 Mike is sponsored by Suna Solutions, McCauley Builders, Hydraflow, Union Kitchen & Tap, Pacific Building Group, Ickler Electrical, Pepsi, Raymond Fox and Associates, Ride Cyclery, Pacific Western Bank, and more. Gates open at 6 a.m. for late registrations, check-in and breakfast, and the first race will begin at 7:30 a.m. For more information and to register, visit www.bike4mike.org.

Photo Credits: Courtesy of Team Godfather Charitable Foundation

About Team Godfather Charitable Foundation (TGCF)

Team Godfather Charitable Foundation (TGCF) is a non-profit 501c3 organization dedicated to building charitable capital, for the purpose of donating nationally and locally to medical research for ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, while emphasizing the “fun” in fundraising. TGCF provides a way to donate to medical research and help find a cure for ALS. It was founded in May 2010 by Michael and Maureen Ramirez, shortly after Michael’s ALS diagnosis. For more information, please visit www.teamgodfather.org.

About the ALS Therapy Development Institute

The ALS Therapy Development Institute and its scientists actively discover and develop treatments for ALS. The Institute is the world’s first and largest nonprofit biotech focused 100 percent on ALS research. Led by people with ALS and drug development experts, the charity understands the urgent need to slow and stop this horrible disease. Based in Cambridge, MA, the Institute has served as one of the leaders in sharing data and information with academic and ALS research organizations, people with ALS and their families. For more information, visit www.als.net.

Media Contact: Gretchen Simoneaux, ALS.net, 760-415-9836 gsimoneaux@als.net