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January 24, 2012

DuVine Ultimate Soiree and PMC Benefit Auction

Filed under: Bike Events, Inspiration, Video Blog, events — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Bike tour guru @ 4:46 pm

This Friday, DuVine Adventures is hosting the ultimate party for our beloved DuVine bike tours guests and many of our valued partners. This is our way of saying thanks to all of you for adding your own personality and your own passion to the DuVine experience, without which it would not be complete. On Friday night, at the Taj Boston hotel, we’ll be singing and dancing in a new year of outstanding DuVine cycling tours.

This year, the DuVine soiree has another exciting component to it. As a major sponsor of the 2012 Pan-Mass Challenge, an event near and dear to our hearts, we’re also holding silent auctions for 25 awesome prizes, the proceeds from which will all benefit the Jimmy Fund in its battle against cancer. This is a cause we can all get behind. Check out this video with DuVine Founder Andy Levine, previewing the stellar event.

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February 22, 2011

DuVine Inspiration – Nancy Brady

Filed under: Inspiration — Bike tour guru @ 11:38 am

 

Andy with Nancy Brady

Everyone needs a bit of inspiration and there is nothing better than listening to someone talk to you one on one about how they were inspired, where it led them and how it changed their life.  Here at DuVine, founder Andy Levine, has taken that idea to heart, and in between travel seasons he invites really interesting people to our offices to share their stories.

You may recall some of last year’s DuVine Inspirations – two Harvard doctors biking across the U.S. and teaching radiology as they went, cancer survivor Jothy Rosenberg a champion one-legged, one-lunged skier, swimmer and cyclist, and an early model of how to triumph over cancer and disability and John Rosenthall, Founder of Stop Handgun Violence and Friends of Boston’s Homeless all three of which were great inspirations to us.

Nancy Brady speaking to DuVine staff

This same sort of inspiration was also the case for us when Nancy Brady dropped in for lunch and to tell us her story of how working in Kampala, Uganda, focusing on infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria inspired her to an active role in critical public health issues in Africa.  For many in the New England area the “Brady” name invokes many sports inspirations but it is clear that Nancy has made her own name inspiring people, a trait which runs strong in her family.

Infectious Disease Institute Uganda

Nancy’s recent journey began when she applied to Pfizer’s social responsibility program, which encourages employees to give back by working with at-risk communities experiencing significant public health issues.  This brought her to The Infectious Disease Institute [IDI], which was established in 2004 in Uganda with support from the Accordia Global Health Foundation.  The IDI works to train doctors and health providers from all over Africa to treat  HIV, malaria and tuberculosis, which are at epidemic proportions in many areas of the continent.  So taken by her experience in Uganda that upon her return she set to creating a fund raising event that raised $250,000 and set her on a pathway of learning and sharing the situation of this critical public health challenge.

So, what inspired her so much about this experience?

Well on the surface there are the intellectual reasons that first bring things into focus.  The plain fact is that diseases like HIV and malaria cause immense human suffering in Africa.  The challenge is that once you pull back the covers it becomes clear that this is a complex issue stretching across cultural, governmental and resource issues.  Many people take a look at these issues and wonder “how could I possibly do anything to impact this?” and once overwhelmed maybe donate some money and move on to potentially easier tasks.  However, this is not the nature of Nancy and so listening to her you could tell that the enormity of it all was part of the inspiration for her, if you are going to get involved in helping people it might as well be something that is really going to impact a large number of people.

Nancy Brady in Uganda

In listening to her speak it also became clear that it was really the people that were inspiring her to make a difference. As she describes it there are doctors and health care workers throughout Africa working with virtually no resources but that they still travel immense distances to get to the IDI to learn more so that they can help their communities.  There are communities and families that have been ravaged by these diseases, leaving many without spouses to raise families and children without any parents.  Yet, these people can still find the drive to continue onwards, to smile when given the chance and to essentially look towards a brighter future when many would just stop in their tracks never to move forward again.

For us, it was Nancy’s final summary, roughly paraphrased; I don’t tell you this story so that you will rush out and donate to my cause, but to inspire you to find a cause that you can believe in as passionately as I do mine and to embrace it with all that you can.

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August 12, 2010

Why Ride?

Filed under: Bike, Bike Events, Charity Biking, Inspiration — Tags: , , , — Bike tour guru @ 8:26 am

 

Brewster Water Stop

 

Some people were surprised when I told them I was going to ride the Pan-Mass Challenge…

Why?

Ok…I’m going to be completely honest…
I am not accustomed to sharing a room with another grown man…
I am not used to getting up at 4am…
I have an aversion to using porta-potties…(I know, I sound like George Costanza)
I have never slept on the bottom bunk of a war ship with 6 snoring men…

But I did.

Why?

I did it to raise money for cancer research. I did for all of the people who can’t…and for all of the people that now can – thanks to the advances in cancer treatment. And I did it with a group of wonderful, passionate and self-less people who made it [and continue to make it] all worth it.

And please…come on…who am I to complain about the lack of a proper restroom or an early morning wake up?

Team Lick Cancer

 

I cannot even fathom what victims of cancer have gone through…and what they are currently experiencing as they fight for their lives. The stories I heard and the hardships they have experienced blew my mind.  I now had a new perspective when looking at those T-shirts I kept seeing all weekend:  “Cancer sucks”.

You cannot know, nor really empathize unless you take the time to listen to their stories and understand their plight.  And you will never really know until it hits home.

But you cannot imagine, nor appreciate how inspiring it is to see the survivors riding alongside you. Yes, hope is alive and well on the road from Sturbridge to Provincetown and from Wellesley to Bourne – in every pedal stroke and smile – and it is truly inspiring.

It is this very reason why I dedicated my weekend to riding the PMC and witnessing the personification of hope on a bicycle. I believe personally and professionally that the bicycle can make wonderful things happen. I will, and I know my team will, do it again and again until our legs stop moving.

I am honored to be a part of Team Lick Cancer – an amazing group of passionate cyclists who are dedicated to making a difference.

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August 4, 2010

Biking and giving go hand in hand

Filed under: Bike, Inspiration, events, special interest — Tags: , , , , — Bike tour guru @ 1:24 pm

Here at DuVine Adventures we track a lot of biking related news and activities and one thing that is really amazing is the increase in the number of cyclists that are using bike rides and tours as the basis for giving to and supporting charities.

Sometimes these can be the lone rider going a cross the country, or in the case of Vin Cox, going around the world, raising money in the memory of a friend or loved one, other times it can be a local event attended by 100s or even 1000s of riders and other times still it can be national programs such as Livestrong.org, brought to the public consciousness by Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor.

In each case these cyclists are riding their bikes and pushing themselves in an effort to help others, which is rewarding for both them and those people who will benefit from the monies raised.

7 Tour de France victories

So why is bike riding for charity proving itself so popular? Well for one, not everyone can run a marathon, but just about everyone can ride a bike (especially people recovering from an illness or injury…hence the large amount of participants in charity rides). Perhaps another contributing factor is the increase and frequency of charity rides. In Massachusetts alone there are multiples charity rides happening during the month of July …including one of the most well-known: The Pan-Mass Challenge. Even the PMC has seen a sizeable increase in participation – between 2000 and 2009 it almost quadrupled the amount of riders then in the 80’s, with 16,668. There were almost 12,000 volunteers, and the donation amount for the nine year span totaled at a whopping $227,200,000. In fact, the PMC contributes more money to charity than any other athletic fundraiser in the world.

Another appealing benefit to charity rides – they are a great way to put on long miles without the worry of getting lost or left out in the cold. With multiple mileage options, charity bike rides give cyclists a way to get involved and enjoy the sport of cycling. Even better, they are fully supported with rest stops (restrooms, water, snacks), medical support, and bicycle support. Not to mention the take-away benefit –the knowledge that your participation is going to a great cause. As the PMC founder and executive director Billy Starr explains “The PMC is more than just a bike ride…It is a community of people with one unifying mission: raising money for cancer research.”

PMC riders

In the spirit of cycling and charity, our very own Andy Levine will be among the 5,000 cyclists riding the 31st annual Pan-Mass Challenge on Aug. 7 to 8 to raise money to for cancer treatment and research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. According to Andy “I am very honored to be joining a group of friends and fellow riders and pedaling the 192 miles over the course of two days from Sturbridge, MA to Provincetown, MA to help raise awareness for this incredible organization.”

It’s true that cyclists are a special breed and even though cycling is often viewed as an individual activity, it can be used to help millions of people through the unique ability to drive charitable contributions.

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February 9, 2010

Jothy Rosenberg – “Who Says I Can’t?”

Filed under: Bike, Inspiration — Tags: — Bike tour guru @ 5:04 pm

Swimming with sharks while competing in a race from Alcatraz to San Francisco, braving white water rafting in class 5 rapids, participating in a  2-day 192 mile bike ride annually…perhaps not something  your average “joe the plummer” does on a regular basis. Now imagine doing all of that without a leg AND a lung! And this is just a mere glimpse into the active lifestyle led by Jothy Rosenberg who lost his leg at 16 and a lung a lung at 19 – a kid who was told he had no chance to survive, let alone LIVE.

And yet,  live he does…with an incredible spirit, amazing energy, and a zest for life that is unmatched.

I had the pleasure of meeting this fascinating man this week, and  I must confess, I was more impressed by his athletic accomplishments than pitying of  his misfortunes.  As he shared his story (with comic timing, no less) I was captivated by his charisma and inspired by his athletic prowess. I honestly forgot he was ‘disabled’; to me, he was just another extreme athlete talking about his adventures and I wanted to live vicariously through him!

What impressed me the most is that Jothy story is one of motivation, not woe is me – of pursuing your passions, whoever you may be and whatever your circumstance. His passion for life is palpable, and his determination interminable. We could all learn a lesson from Jothy.


And if you’d like to join him on a ride, he’s planning on taking our bike tour in Tuscany
.

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January 7, 2010

DuVine Inspiration Day: Biking Across America

Filed under: Bike, Inspiration — Bike tour guru @ 10:00 am

As the leader in planning unique and personalized active vacations, we have the opportunity to meet and befriend many inspiring individuals in our travels.  Much more than a bike tour company, we are a community of cycling enthusiasts and friends who value exploration, creating connections, uniting common interests and sharing those visions with each other.

It is with this spirit of vision, creativity and education that we started “The DuVine Inspiration Speaker Series”.   In this program we welcome a guest speaker or speakers into our office to share their knowledge and insight with our staff and friends.  These one hour sessions have inspired and educated us and raised the bar on what is possible if you try.

Please join us if you can by stopping by our office for the next great speaker as well if you know an inspirational person please let us know or forward them a link to this blog we would love to have them come out and inspire us.

Most recent inspirational session:

Friday, December 18, PETER DOUBILET, M.D., Ph.D and CAROL BENSON, M.D. Both professors of radiology at Harvard Medical School. He is the senior vice chair of radiology and she is director of ultrasound and co-director of high-risk obstetrical ultrasound at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

In this session we learned how to prepare for an 80 day bicycle trip across the country; what to pack, how to pack, how to map the trip, how to find hotels and all the glorious stories that unfold.  The couple are taking a unique sabbatical and combining lectures across America on radiology with a 3800 mile bike trip, now that is an inspiration!

We found that we had a lot in common, and our staff really loved the couple.  We also found out that Carol had a goal to workout 365 days in a year, which she achieved! and that Peter is inspired by his wife’s motivation, although admittedly less fanatical about working out every day of the year.  It became clear in their presentation to us that this dedicated couple love to bicycle, teach, learn and make new friends.  They are DuVine, and we learned a lot about their epic journey, biking across America to spread their knowledge of ultra sound.

Our next inspirational session:

January 19, 2010 – 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm, JOTHY ROSENBERG, Jothy Rosenberg is not a celebrity but an Everyman, which gives his wrenching story of astonishing grit its inspirational power.  After being told when he was 19 that he had no chance of surviving the cancer that had already cost him one leg and one lung, Jothy made a decision. He would ski until he died. Instead of dying he became one of the first beneficiaries of then-primitive chemotherapy, a champion one-legged, one-lunged skier, swimmer and cyclist, and an early model of how to triumph over cancer and disability.  This story is not one to be missed!

Previous inspirational sessions:

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 – Productivity Seminar by DON KHOURI, Khouri Consulting and Coaching. Don Khouri helps leaders be more productive, develop their competencies, build high performing teams, and increase their personal effectiveness.  He is committed to bringing out the best in others.  He has over seventeen years experience building and leading technology teams and twenty-four years experience in financial services.

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 – JOHN ROSENTHAL, Founder of Stop Handgun Violence and Friends of Boston’s Homeless John helped us with simple changes we can make in our life to benefit those in need.   Friends of Boston’s Homeless is a non-profit corporation that works in partnership with Homeless Services of the Boston Public Health Commission toward the goal of providing the means for homeless people to move “beyond shelter”.  FOBH provides the homeless people of Boston with job training, job opportunities, counseling, and even helps them establish residence at transitional housing and permanent residence.

Stop Handgun Violence is a non-profit organization committed to the prevention of gun violence through education, public awareness, effective law enforcement and common sense gun laws. In Massachusetts, they are making a real difference.  Since 1994, we have passed the most comprehensive gun laws in the nation and have reduced gun injuries by 50%, gun homicide by 56% and gun accidents by 58%. Our gun violence prevention efforts are a model for the nation.

John’s story of helping others while also building a business really inspired us to think about what we could do as individuals as well as how our business could make an impact on the lives of others.  John’s sell effacing naturing and friendly demeanor helped us understand that the ability to help is within everyone and it just needs an outlet.

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