Thursday, July 16, 2009

Our own "Team Project 3000" riding in RAGBRAI


Dear Friends of the Carver Lab:

We are excited to let you know that members of our Lab, along with friends and supporters of Project 3000, will be hitting the road to raise awareness for Project 3000 and research of blinding eye diseases!

A group of individuals will be cycling in one of the biggest annual events in Iowa! On July 19-25, “Team Project 3000” will be riding 472 miles across Iowa as part of the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI. The event is the longest, largest and oldest touring bicycle ride in the world.

The team includes U.S. Paralympics Track Cycling Champion, Clark Rachfal. Clark has been legally blind for most of his life and was recently diagnosed with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). He is excited about riding with the team to raise awareness for the research that is taking place at the University of Iowa and elsewhere.

Team Project 3000 has raised nearly $30,000 in donations in support so far! If you are interested in supporting the Team, please visit www.uifoundation.org/project3000

The team will be “tweeting” from the road, as well as posting pictures and video on-line, so friends and family can keep up to date on the conversations and money that is raised along the way. Follow the team's progress during RAGBRAI on Twitter@Project3000 or via any RSS feed via www.twitter.com/project3000

Please feel free to share this email with friends and family. Together we can work as a TEAM to help spread the word on behalf of these riders dedicated to Project 3000.

Sincerely,

The John and Marcia Carver Nonprofit Genetic Testing Laboratory
University of Iowa



Photo: RAGBRAI Team Project 3000, or at least part of it, has gathered together to stand behind the Budget rental truck that will accompany them during the week.