HOW IT STARTED

Late in the summer of 2021 a team of 10 cyclists, 3 of whom have Parkinson’s Disease, successfully completed a 6-day, 335 mile cycling adventure “DC To D’Burgh…Pedaling Parkinson’s Outta Tahn” riding from Washington, DC to Point State Park in support of the Parkinson’s Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and to promote and demonstrate the benefits of cycling for helping folks living with Parkinson’s.

“DC To D’Burgh…” Took the cyclists along the historical C&O Canal Towpath Trail following the Potomac River to Cumberland, MD where it connects to the Great Allegheny Passage to form what the National Geographic Adventurer calls “An American Classic”. Together, these trails trace the history of the United States, from its early colonial days and the quest to find a route westward for commerce and industry, to its stand for independence and growth as an industrial nation.

 

HOW IT’S GOING

Welcome to the home page for the 2nd Annual “D.C. to D’Burgh...Pedaling Parkinson’s Outta Tahn”, a 335-mile cycling adventure from the National Mall in Washington, D.C to Point State Park in Pittsburgh, PA to benefit the Parkinson’s Foundation of Western Pennsylvania!

This year's ride is scheduled to depart from the National Mall in Washington DC on Monday morning, September 26th arriving at Point State Park on Saturday afternoon, October 1st. Like last year we will average around 60 miles per day spending the nights at hotels and B&B’s at various trail towns along our route.

 

 

Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive, degenerative and disabling neurologic disorder with no cure whose prevalence is second only to Alzheimer’s disease.  It is the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world.  In fact, there are now more men and women afflicted with this disease than MS, Muscular Dystrophy and ALS combined!   Individuals with Parkinson’s experience a range of symptoms due to the loss of nerve cells in the brain that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine.  There are approximately 1,000,000 Americans living with Parkinson’s with up to 12,000 living in Western Pennsylvania. Based on our region’s demographics and other risk factors this number will continue to grow. And although there is no cure for Parkinson’s, physical activity has clinically proven to slow the disease’s progression with riding a bicycle one of the very best activities one can do.

By undertaking this cycling adventure…”DC To D’Burgh…Pedaling Parkinson’s Outta Than” we hope to increase the public’s awareness and perception of this disease and to demonstrate and inspire those living with Parkinson’s that they too can get on a bike and take on a challenging adventure.

THIS EVENT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS