The 2nd Annual Philly Bike Ride for Pain Relief, on Saturday, September 12, 2009, raised more than $4,000 for RSDSA.

To Dr. Whitman and all the riders, thank you!

Source

Benefits of a Charity Event: So Much More Than Dollars and Cents
By Sarah Whitman, MD

The 2nd Annual Philadelphia Bike Ride for Pain Relief was held this past September, raising over $4000 for RSDSA, with 25 bike riders participating. Having chaired the event and ridden the 18 miles, I wanted to reflect back on what benefits—expected and more surprising—I saw.

When I tell people about the charity event, the first question most ask is, ‘How much did you raise?’ Now, don’t get me wrong… $4000 is outstanding. Stamping that envelope with all the checks felt wonderful. RSDA is a stellar organization, and I knew they would put those dollars to good use. But I believe that other benefits were even more valuable than the financial contribution we made to RSDSA.

The Ride Helped with Education

Months of preparation went into the ride. We contacted sponsors to ask them to donate prizes, drinks and snacks, and we emailed our friends and family to ask them to sponsor us as we rode. After the ride, I sent in articles about it to newspapers in my town and the places where I worked. What was I noticed was that I was talking more and more about CRPS during this time. While I was picking up donated Gatorade, I was telling people what CRPS was. Writing a news article about the ride let me include a paragraph about how many in the US have the illness (200,000–1.2 million) and some of the promising treatments. I became a Johnny Appleseed of CRPS, dropping educational seeds everywhere.

The Ride Enabled Friends and Family to Help

Unfortunately, CRPS is not just severe pain. CRPS also encompasses many negative consequences that ripple out and affect not only the person with CRPS, but family, friends, and co-workers. (You’re all too familiar with them… loss of work, hobbies, independence, etc.) However, this ride let people affected by CRPS stand up to it!

One man stayed stationed at our ride headquarters for 3 hours. He wanted to help in response to his mother’s CRPS. He couldn’t cure her, but he could let her know he was battling the disease with her. Another man whose wife had just been diagnosed with CRPS couldn’t ride himself because he was away on business, but he organized 10 co-workers to ride and raised over $2000. What a great sign of support to his partner. A mother, in a hotel in Philadephia while her son got treatment for CRPS at a local hospital, couldn’t ride because her bike was at home half way across the country. But she sent in a donation and wore our bike t-shirt while in the hospital supporting her child.

The ride let people rally in support of those affected by CRPS, and do something positive to cure this illness.

The Ride Was a Positive Event!

CRPS is like a flat tire… it can leave you stranded, eliminated from the fun, without a way to move forward. But this ride decreased the isolation that occurs in an unusual disease. Here was a group of people who knew what those strange initials C-R-P-S meant. The ride decreased stigma, misunderstanding, and fear. While many caught their breath at the half-way point, they had a chance to talk about what was working for themselves or their affected family member.
I appreciate everyone who participated in our ride—riders, sponsors, co-organizers and workers, and all those who gave moral support. I also thank RSDSA for being such a great organization which helps those affected by CRPS. And I look forward to our 3rd Annual Event next September—I hope you can join me in person or in spirit!

Updated September 23, 2009