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May 2007 News
Two MTU students bike to Seattle for cancer survivorship
By Jeff Dambrun
HOUGHTON -- An idea that started as a half-serious joke several years ago between Michigan Tech
University (MTU) students Jay Prescott
and Jeff Dambrun has now materialized into a reality. Jay and Jeff have created the
Superior-Pacific Ride for Survivorship, a bicycle journey from Houghton, Mich., to Seattle,
Wash., as well as a
grassroots fundraiser through the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
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| Michigan Tech University students Jay Prescott,
right, and Jeff Dambrun pause during a bike ride near Freda, Mich., on Lake Superior, starting
point for the Superior-Pacific Ride for Survivorship. Jay and Jeff are
on their way to Seattle to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong
Foundation, a non-profit organization
that supports a diverse and comprehensive array of cancer survivorship efforts. (Photo © 2007
Ben Bittner. Reprinted with permission.) |
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Jeff pedaled away from Houghton on May 7, 2007, while Jay was still studying for
an important exam for entrance to medical school. They later met in Minneapolis, where the exam was scheduled for May 11. The two
are now on their way to Seattle, hoping to average 70-80 miles per day. Their 2300-mile journey will
take them through northern Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho and
Washington -- a route that includes passing through Glacier National Park and North Cascades National Park and following the Canadian border.*
To date Jay and Jeff have raised nearly $4000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a non-profit organization
that supports a diverse and comprehensive array of cancer survivorship efforts. Donations and pledges
will be accepted until they reach Seattle in mid-June. Donations will go not
only toward cancer research, but toward other important areas like education and social support for survivors and their families.
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| Jay Prescott, left, and Jeff Dambrun trained this
spring for their 2300-mile bike trip from Houghton to Seattle to raise
funds for cancer survivorship. Here they are pictured with their bikes
on a trail near Freda, Mich. (Photo © 2007 Ben Bittner. Reprinted with permission.) |
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Jay and Jeff both feel strongly about this comprehensive approach and feel that combating the social
disruptions of cancer is as important as investing in laboratory research.
Jay is a third-year Michigan Tech student from Holland, Mich., studying biology. After graduation, he hopes to enter medical school, one day giving back to society the support he received during his
own battle with cancer. Jay has been cancer-free for three years. In addition to bicycling, he enjoys cooking,
baking and eating.
Jeff, who is from St. Johns, Mich., is a May 2007 MTU graduate in
environmental engineering. He recently participated in a water project in
Guatemala with Michigan Tech's Engineers Without Borders. After completing the Superior-Pacific Ride for Survivorship,
he plans to move to Sault Ste Marie to work as an environmental engineer with the Indian Health Service. In addition to bicycling, Jeff enjoys sampling Jay’s gastronomic creations.
For more information on the ride, please visit: http://www.mtulode.com/article.php?articleId=540
and http://www.hu.mtu.edu/~jcdambru/cancer/.
To make a donation, please visit http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots/jayridesxcountry.
* See a map
showing the route Jeff and Jay are taking on their bike trip to Seattle.
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