Coast to Coast for a Cure 2014: 2014-05-18

About Lea's Foundation

In 1998, Lea Michele Economos, a young woman who died of leukemia at the age of 28, made a dying wish to her parents that others would not face the hardships she encountered by finding a cure for this disease. Her family started this charity to carry on that wish. Today, Lea’s Foundation takes an active role in finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and myeloma and to better the lives of people living with these diseases. At the UCONN Health Center, the Lea’s Foundation Center for Hematologic Disorders sponsors research in this field. A new program covers the cost of bone-marrow testing to help recruit life-saving transplants for patients. Also, annual scholarships are given to children with leukemia who are planning to attend nursery school. For more information on other projects carried out by Lea’s Foundation, please visit their website at www.LeasFoundation.org.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Most Successful Auction Ever!

Thank you to everyone who came out last night to support the Third Annual Coast to Coast!

The 2013 Auction raised $3500. This year as a stretch-goal we hoped to raise $4000. Due to your enthusiasm, amazing events, and generous bidding, the auction grossed over $4800 last night! Thank you to all our auctionees for donating so generously!

This event would not have been possible without a lot of help:

First and foremost, Robin Frank generously agreed to be our faculty adviser and ensured that our Keller reservation, food/drink orders, and audio/visual requirements were met.

We riders had a lot of help from upperclassmen: Eben Asare, Diana Chen, Dan Beauvais, and Pat Field in planning the logistics and ensuring that we remained on task as we planned this successful fundraiser.

Last but not least, we need to thank our hosts, Apeksha Dave and Alex Werne for graciously agreeing to host and promote our auction.

We hope that you all had a great time last night, and that you'll enjoy the events that you won!

Meet the Riders:

Greg Kirby grew up in Madison, CT and graduated from Boston College with a degree in Chemistry and minor in Mathematics. He is now a first year medical student at UConn School of Medicine. Greg is an avid sailor and boater, but is ecstatic to undertake the land-based Coast to Coast ride and discover America in support of Lea’s Foundation.

Gregory Oudheusden grew up in Greenwich, CT and graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2013 with a BS in Philosophy. He is now a first year medical student at UConn. Greg enjoys hiking, skiing, and kayaking in his spare time, and holds a private pilot license. He is eager to bike acrossthe country for the Coast to Coast ride this summer to raise money for Lea’s Foundation.

Jonathan Kobles grew up in Farmington,CT and graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2013 with a degree in Molecular Biology. He is currently studying medicine at the UConn Health Center. Jonathan spends his free time engaging in many outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and kayaking. He looks forward to the opportunity to continue the tradition of Coast to Coast, and dedicate his summer towards raising money for an organization as committed and hard working as Lea’s Foundation.