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Community Corner

Pedaling 135 Miles For AngelRide 2011

Every Memorial Day weekend, hundreds of volunteers and cyclists from all over New England gather for a series of bike rides to raise money for the Hospital Outreach Program at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

AngelRide gets its name from its inspiration: Angela "Angel" Uihlein. Angel, now 20, was diagnosed with leukemia at 12 years of age and survived due to a life-saving bone marrow transplant. 

Helping out kids like Angel is the purpose of AngelRide. Every year, hundreds of volunteers and cyclists from all over New England gather for a series of bike rides and every penny raised by the participants goes to the Hospital Outreach Program at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Conn. 

Tony Molloy of Mansfield will be participating in the 135-mile race with his kids Jack, 9, and Megan, 7, joining in for the last six miles. Molloy's inspiration to join the ride is rooted in his strong ties with the camp. Molloy said he was in college in 1996 when he left his home in Odessa, Texas to join The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

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He said he got hired and met his wife, Karen, that summer and never left. 

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp was founded in Ashford in 1988 by Paul Newman for children and their families coping with serious illness. The camp serves children with a range of illnesses including sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, cancer, HIV/AIDS and other degrees of diagnosis.

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The camp enables children to participate in activities such as archery, boating, mini golf, arts and crafts, sports, horseback riding, theater, camping, swimming and fishing. All activities are tailored to each child's specific needs so that no child is excluded due to any limitations they may have. Newman called the camp a place for kids to "raise a little hell" and retrieve some of their childhood. 

The camp is a nonprofit, year-round center run by volunteers and funded by donations. All activities and services are free of charge for the children and their families in attendance. The AngelRide helps to make this possible by the generous donations of the participants. 

Molloy's son, Jack, said that he's not nervous about the six-mile he will bike with his sister, Megan. "We have practiced. I think we're ready," said Jack. Jack also shared his thoughts on The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

"My mom used to work at the camp and we used to live there," said Jack of his summers in Ashford. "The camp is for people with a disease and people who were or are disabled. They get to do fun stuff there. I think they have a zip-line and there's swimming and arts and crafts."

Jack and Megan have raised $300 to date, exceeding their goal of $100 each. 

The fundraising "was pretty easy," said Megan, who also said she is very excited for the ride. 

There are several different rides in which to participate. The full, two-day ride is 135 miles and the fundraising responsibility for an individual is $1,000 by May 27. The one-day ride is 50 miles with a $500 fundraising responsibility. The Young Adult AngelRide for youths aged 11-15 is 25 miles with a fundraising responsibly of $100 and the The Young AngelRide for youths aged 7-10 is six miles with a fundraising responsibility of $100. All rides conclude in in the coastal village of Mystic on May 29.

The two-day ride is sold out, however, the one-day ride is still open. To register as a rider, visit the AngelRide registration site. The site provides information on participants' responsibilities, directions and maps. To donate directly to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, you can visit their donation page.

Or, to help Tony Molloy reach his goal of $1,000 by May 27, you can visit his AngelRide Donation Page.

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