Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour

Local Events: Houston

Day 1:

Saturday, October 3, 2009
Houston Kick Off Event

The Lone Star Circle of Life team will kick off the 2009 tour in Houston on Saturday, October 3. The local event will be held at the new LifeGift facility at 2510 Westridge, Houston, 77054. The team will arrive at LifeGift at 8:30 a.m. to meet their honorees and tell about why they are riding in the 2009 Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour, then the riders will introduce the person they are honoring. Following the reception, the team will leave for College Station, officially kicking off the 2009 tour.

Information about blood, tissue and organ donation will be available on-site and a drive for the National Marrow Donor Program Registry will be held. More information about the event will be posted as it becomes available.

Event Coordinator

For more information, contact:

Anne Marie Cervenka
Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center
1400 La Concha Lane
Houston, TX 77054
Phone: 713-791-6697

Day Riders

Denise Van Kuiken – “I am fortunate to work for LifeGift. Every day in my work I see incredible people, who, in their time of grief can still think of others and say “YES” to organ and tissue donation. I ride in honor of them and the people they have saved!”

Kimberly Davis – “As a Managing Director at LifeGift, I've worked to further organ and tissue donation in southeast Texas for the past 20 years. I so enjoyed the two times I've ridden before and I'd be very proud to do so again.”

Beatrice Hodgson – “I want to ride to raise awareness on organ and tissue donation.”

Steve Marucci – “I’m involved with Organ and Tissue donation on a daily basis. I lead teams in the recovery of organs and tissues for transplantation in addition to educating the public on the uses and needs for donation.”

Jessica Leibold - Jessica rides because she believes in organ and tissue donation as a gift.

Ken Cole - Ken rides to support donation.

Basil Housewright – The tour title honoree, Brian Brasseaux, was a friend and his family continue to be my family’s friends. His widow Christine is a running coach of our local marathon training group. Her strength to persevere inspire us all. I am a cancer survivor, diagnosed with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1999. I run marathons and have completed four MS-150 rides. I love riding and am honored to be a day rider with the team.

Roger Contreras – Blood and Marrow Recipient
At age 40, Roger Contreras couldn’t have felt in better condition. He was working as a plumbing superintendent taking on projects left and right. One day as he took a “break” from work to finish up tasks around the yard, he felt something that would forever change his life. He was taking out the trash, when his knees buckled, he began breathing hard and feeling dizzy.

After several tests, doctors informed Roger that everything he was experiencing was being caused by a disease known as Myelodysplastic Syndrome, a disease in which the bone marrow does not produce enough healthy blood cells. The diagnosis devastated Roger and his family as they knew the journey to finding a cure that would require a bone marrow transplant, would be a long one.

As Roger underwent numerous chemotherapy treatments and received more than 200 units of blood, he began journaling his experience and using social media networks in hopes that someone would listen. His blog, www.ihavemds.com, has received attention from several potential donors and even other patients hoping to find their life-saving match.

While he finally won his battle and received his bone marrow transplant in March of 2009, he continues spreading the word to be able to save others battles in the future.

This should be pretty interesting and all are invited to come out.