CVIM Challenge-CVIM Cycle Challenge
2008 Challenge · Follow the Journey · The Volunteers · History · Roger Greene · Melissa Auckerman
Bellefonte to Boston Challenge
Interview with Roger Greene
Roger discusses this year's challenge and the history of the Bellefonte to Boston Challenge.Bellefonte to Boston Blog
Wonder what it takes to prepare for a 518 mile bike ride?
Roger talks about preparing physically and mentally for the challenge.
Read about training, the gear, Roger, and a pink leotard in the Bellefonte to Boston Challenge Blog
Roger Greene begins his 518 mile bicycle journey Tuesday, accompanied by 40+ First Day Challenge riders. Departing at 10:00am Tuesday from Restek Corporation in the Penn Eagle Industrial Park, Roger and the First Day Challenge riders will travel approximately 60 miles to Lewisburg, PA. Roger continues the challenge riding solo and averaging approximately 115 miles per day, to arrive in Boston, MA on Saturday.
Centre County resident Roger Greene has taken on the Bellefonte to Boston Challenge to raise funds and awareness for Centre Volunteers In Medicine, a non-profit organization striving to meet the needs of Centre County’s uninsured.
Follow Roger's Journey...
Bellefonte to Boston Day 1 Schedule
8:30 amWBUS 2 hour live radio broadcast from Restek/Benner Circle
9:00 amRiders arrival - last minute preparations
9:30 amWelcome!
- Paul Silvis - Welcome message
- Don McCandless - Thank you to CVIM participants
- Roger Greene - About the ride to Boston
- John Domico - About the runners and CVIM
10:00 amRide begins! First Mile around Penn Eagle Park then off to Lewisburg
3:00 pmRiders arrive at Vic’s Pub in Lewisburg
Bellefonte to Boston First Day Riders
| Full Course | Full Course | Partial Course |
|---|---|---|
|
Kent Addis Kevin Bergman Tony DeBoef Mark DeMurs Cathy DeSanto Anthony DiNallo Chuck Dubois Kris Edson Bob Eisenbraun Todd Erdley Steven Fast Bob Ford Jim Glover Roger Greene Scott Harrison Bridget Hildebrand Tim Holdcroft Craig Kissell |
Kate Kissell Tom Kistler Paul Koberna Ben Lawrence Naomi Lovallo Francis Maguire Matthew McKinney Jeff Rauff Barb Roan Bob Saylor Howie Shultz Paul Silvis Paul Simpson Gary Stidsen John Wainright Paul Weener Jess Weir Scott Woods |
Bob Potter Nancy Silvis Jeanne Houston Allison Kurtz John Powell Tom McNichol |
Bellefonte to Boston Volunteers
| Bellefonte to Boston Challenge Volunteers |
First Day Check Point/ Aid Stations Volunteers |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Kristen Houser Cyndy Biek Mandy Droll Pat Gallagher Shannon Greene Jeanne Klanchar Rob Lindquist Don McCandless Bradley Pike Misti Pike Joanne Steindorf Videon Folks |
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Bellefonte to Boston Challenge History
I strongly believe in giving credit where credit is due. Bellefonte to Boston was initially all Melissa Aukerman’s idea. Thanks Mel. Look what you started. — Roger Greene
2006
Melissa Aukerman, a Restek fitness trainer, approached Roger Greene with the idea of facilitating an all day indoor bike riding event to raise financial support and awareness for Centre Volunteers in Medicine at Restek Corporation.
She suggested spending an entire day cycling indoors, covering the distance from Bellefonte, PA to Boston, MA in an effort to raise awareness and support for CVIM.
This would be in conjunction with the Boston Marathon Challenge fundraising campaign being held by a group of local runners who qualified for the Boston marathon...
Bellefonte to Boston was born.
2006 Goal
Support Centre Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM) for one full day.
CVIM is a local nonprofit agency, providing free primary medical and dental care to Centre County residents without health insurance.
Translation: it takes approximately $2500 to run this nonprofit agency for one full day.
2006 Challenge
The Restek fitness trainers got behind Melissa’s idea 100%. The team encouraged company employees to purchase raffle tickets for a grand prize drawing to be held at the end of the day. Throughout the day names were randomly drawn for prizes donated by local business and Penn State University.
Eric Scott, owner of the Bicycle Shop in State College, graciously donated a Giant Rincon mountain bike at cost for the grand prize.
2007
With the 2006 Bellefonte to Boston campaign being so successful, the challenge team decided to step it up a notch and up the challenges...
2007 Goal
Setting out with a goal of raising $5,500.00 to help Centre Volunteers in Medicine purchase a portable dental unit for their clinic. This portable dental unit would enable CVIM to serve 30% more dental patients, shortening the long waiting list dental patients find themselves on while waiting for routine dental procedures.
Centre Volunteers in Medicine's "Boston Marathon Challenge" fundraising Campaign goal for 2007 was $55,000.00. The Bellefonte to Boston goal of $5,500.00 would help them reach 10% of their ultimate goal.
2007 Challenge
The team held another all day riding event, with the grand prize raffle item being a 2007 Giant Rincon mountain bike graciously donated by the Bicycle Shop at cost.
In 2007, the team recruited Restek employees to pedal along with them. Additionally, Roger committed to riding for nine hours straight covering more than 120 miles.
Roger challenged the Restek employees to raise the $5,500 and committed to physically biking (outdoors) to Boston, Massachusetts in 2008, with the intent of arriving in Boston before the start of the 2008 Boston Marathon.
Needless to say, Roger is riding to Boston Massachusetts in April!
2008
With the success of reaching the goal of $5,500 in 2007 still energizing them, the team started mapping out a route that they could “safely” bike on to get from Bellefonte Pennsylvania to Boston Massachusetts.
2008 Goal
This year’s goal is twofold...
First, Roger will ride from Bellefonte to Boston and arrive alive and in one piece.
Second, raise $25,000 for Centre Volunteers in Medicine and increase awareness and further support for the wonderful service that they provide so many of our friends and neighbors.
Roger will bike for five straight days departing on April 15th from Restek Corporation in Bellefonte, PA. The first riding day will be the shortest at 85 miles. The remaining four days will average around 107 miles each day. Roger plans to arrive in Boston on Saturday, April 19th two days before the Boston Marathon. He will meet up with the local CVIM Boston Marathon runners near the Prudential building by the official Boston Marathon finish line.
2008 Challenge
Some one has offered the idea of biking to Boston next year and actually running the 113th Boston marathon. But there is the whole qualifying before hand requirement to consider. Hmm? What do you think the challenge should be for next year?
Some can’t help but think that Centre Volunteers in Medicine could really use a building of their own. Every nook, cranny and square inch of their rented space is being fully utilized. Any ideas on how enough money might be raised to help them purchase a large enough facility to serve the uninsured of Centre County?
Biography: Roger Greene
Roger Greene resides in Centre County with his wife Shannon and their two cats Sam and Sky. He works for an employee owned chromatography manufacturing company, Restek Corporation, in Bellefonte Pennsylvania. Roger began his career at Restek in 1999 as a part-time fitness trainer in their onsite wellness center and later accepted the position as Wellness Coordinator in 2004. Before beginning his employment with Restek he worked within a small number of commercial fitness centers facilitating group exercise and Tae Kwon Do classes, one-on-one personal training sessions, and varying community based programs benefiting local senior citizens and middle school students.
Roger served as an active duty Security Policeman in the United State Air Force from 1993 to 1997. In 1999 he enrolled as a freshman at the Pennsylvania State University but was called back to active military duty in 2001 until 2003. Ultimately he earned his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Penn State University in 2004.
Roger is an avid triathlete who has participated in numerous sprint, Olympic, and half-ironman distance triathlons over the last seven years. If you ask him he will tell you he is a middle of the pack multi-sporter who just enjoys the journey and adventure. In 2006 and 2007 he participated in the City to Shore and Keystone Country MS 150 rides in honor of a co-worker.
Biography: Melissa Aukerman
Melissa Aukerman is a fitness coach and group exercise instructor living in State College, Pennsylvania. Melissa has been employed in the wellness industry for more than ten years, working in cardiac rehabilitation, corporate wellness, academic research, and fitness clubs. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from Mary Baldwin College, where she was a varsity athlete on the field hockey, lacrosse, and swim teams. She earned her Master of Science degree in Health and Exercise Science from Wake Forest University. Melissa is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as an Exercise Specialist. She is also a certified Pilates instructor.
Melissa is a dedicated runner, competing several half and full marathons per year. An avid believer in service to community, Melissa volunteers as a running mentor with Team in Training (TNT), a division of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. With TNT, Melissa assists in training runners and walkers for approximately five marathons per year.
While working at Restek Corporation, Melissa assisted in the organization of the Inaugural Bellefonte to Boston Fundraiser in 2006 and the second event in 2007. Melissa left Restek Corporation in December 2007 to create the fitness coaching company Inner Athlete, LLC in State College Pennsylvania; however, she stills remains involved in the Bellefonte to Boston Fundraiser.
In Print
