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ARISE and Ride for Ramps, the annual fundraising event for the ARISE Oswego County Ramp Program, will be held June 8 at Fort Ontario.
Motorcyclists can take part in a four-hour scenic ride through the North Country, runners can participate in a 5K run, and kids can pedal their bikes for a cause around Fort Ontario. At the fort, families can come together for a chicken BBQ provided by Woodchuck Saloon as well as hamburgers and hotdogs from Rudy's Lakeside Drive-In.
Last year, with support from individuals and local businesses, the ARISE Oswego County Ramp Program was able to build ramps for 28 families in need. This year, the waiting list is already up to 58. With volunteers ready and eager to help, all proceeds from the event will allow ARISE to purchase construction materials for the ramps.
"Because of the ramps we provide, we've been able to see a teenager with quadriplegia safely and independently leave his house to board the school bus for the first time in years," said Jim Karasek, ARISE manager of independent living services. "We've reunited families by helping people leave nursing facilities so they can live in the comfort of their own home. Our program touches people of all ages because mobility difficulties transcend age. Access is a universal need."
Registration for the motorcycle ride, run, and kids' bike ride is available at http://rideforramps.org. Businesses, groups, and individuals are also able to form teams. To purchase pre-sale chicken BBQ tickets or learn more about the event, contact Kristin Rabideau at 342-4088, ext. 207 or krabideau@ariseinc.org.
ARISE and Ride for Ramps is supported by EMPOWER Federal Credit Union, Pathfinder Bank, Relph Benefit Advisors, Fulton Savings Bank, Haylor, Freyer & Coon, and Price Chopper. Additional support is provided by the Friends of Fort Ontario, Good Times of Oswego, Murdock's Bicycles & Sports, NewsChannel 9, Oswego Speedway, Precision Sign and Graphics, Rudy's Lakeside, Woodchuck Saloon, and Zink Shirts. The 5K Run is a partnership between ARISE and the Oswego YMCA.
About ARISE
ARISE is a non-profit Independent Living Center run by and for people with disabilities. The organization has been providing advocacy and services since 1979, and each year ARISE works with approximately 4,000 people of all ages who have all types of disabilities. ARISE has offices in Onondaga, Oswego, and Madison Counties and operates ARISE at the Farm, a 77-acre recreational facility in Chittenango, NY, and ARISE & Ski at Toggenburg Winter Sports Center in Fabius, NY.
