UAMS Cycle For Sight Rides the River Trail on May 16
| LITTLE ROCK – Cyclists of all ages are invited to put their endurance to the test by participating in the inaugural Cycle For Sight on May 16 along the Arkansas River, sponsored by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Jones Eye Institute.
The route for the recreational ride to benefit the UAMS Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute includes the paved 14.4-mile River Trail loop on both the North Little Rock and Little Rock sides of the Arkansas River.
Registration is $35 for adult riders and $15 for kids 12 and under. To register, or for more information, contact Shannon Hughen-Giger at 686-8638 or by e-mail at SHGiger@UAMS.edu. Proceeds will go towards eye research and outreach at the Jones Eye Institute.
Participants will be treated to lunch, live entertainment and a raffle for prizes beginning at 11:30 a.m. Riders and supporters are encouraged to bring old pairs of eye glasses to be recycled for future outreach efforts
“The fun thing about this ride is that it’s open to all ages and makes it more of a family-friendly event,” said Jeff Snodgres, an information technology specialist at UAMS and chairman of Cycle For Sight. “It’s for all levels of cyclists, including those just starting out, and there are three different rides designed to fit everyone’s level of cycling.”
Full-trail riders (most experienced) will make seven laps around the River Trail and mid-distance riders will tally four laps, both getting underway at 8 a.m. Short distance riders (beginners) will make two laps beginning at 8:30 a.m. and kids under 12 will do a half-lap at 8:45 a.m. Riders can make as many loops as they’d like until the event ends at 3 p.m. All rides will begin on the River Trail near the Burns Park Soccer Complex. Police will be available to help riders through high traffic areas, and several breaks and aid stations will be scattered along the trail.
UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a new 540,000-square-foot hospital, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has 2,652 students and 733 medical residents. Its centers of excellence include the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute and the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including nearly 1,150 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’ Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com.