Friday, February 24

A Video: Sh*t Girls Say to Girls with Breast Cancer

Hi everyone,

I hope your weekend is off to a great start. I wanted to share this video with you that I just recently discovered.
I particularly want to highlight the reference to Staten Island, my hometown, which is notorious for having increased rates of breast cancer ( more on that later ).

There's something to be said for the people that can start a discussion, and coincidentally healing, through the use of well directed humor.

If you like this please check out the source of my information, boingboing: http://boingboing.net/2012/02/24/shit-girls-say-to-girls-with-b.html

As always, have a happy Friday!

James

Friday, February 17

Reached a New Milestone: $1,500!

Good Afternoon,

I hope everyone is having a fantastic Friday. Thanks to the magic of Verzion's corporate matching and some generous Verizon employees, we have exceeded the $1,500 mile bench mark!

With a total of $1,550, we have 11 days to reach the next goal of $2,000. We're so close!

Furthermore, I'd like to introduce you a brand new fundraising page: http://gogetfunding.com/project/cycling-coast-to-coast-for-cancer, which allows masses of the universe to donate small amounts for good causes. Please check it out!

through GoGetFunding.com, strangers have the option of donating as little as $1. If everyone on American University's campus donated $1, we would more than exceed the $5,000 goal.

That's it for today's update, but I will have some more interesting updates soon. Keep follow'n.

Have a Great Weekend,

James

Tuesday, February 14

Jessica Thanks the 4k 2012 Team

Moments like these make the 4k for Cancer ride the most meaningful.

Supporting the ride is more than simply supporting a summer mission, it is supporting the lives of people, bringing them hope, health, and unconditional love--for the community, from the community.

"Cancer changes lives...so do WE!"

Thank you for allowing me to share this with you.

Stay Hopeful,

James

Saturday, February 11

A Video Exploration of a 4k Ride

For those of you that would like a better understanding of what the actual 4k Ride entails, I have attached the video from Baltimore to Seattle 2011 below. Enjoy the inspiration!

Don't forget to spread the word.


Happy Saturday!
James

Thursday, February 9

We've Reached $1,000...Next Goal?

Good morning!

I hope everyone's day is off to an awesome start. I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has helped us break the $1,000 barrier:

Robert and Kerry A.
Anonymous
Thomas and Jody O.
Amanda R.
Katie P.
Teresa N.
Robert L.
Mike K.

We have raised $1,250 to date! This is wonderful!

But we still need more. So, I'm introducing the next goal: $2,000 by March 1st!


That gives us 22 Days to raise an additional $750!

Let's get to it! Spread the word. I'll be posting more awesome stories shortly :)

Have an exciting day,
James

Monday, February 6

4k for Ciro "Benjamin" Apciella

I feel that it is important no only to share my journey with you, but to explain why I'm riding.
Or, more importantly, who I am riding for.

I have decided to begin a series of in-depth posts about some of the people that have influenced my decision to ride. One of these people was an extraordinary man, a man who typifies the classic American story of immigration, hard-work, and family.

My Great-Grandfather: Ciro "Benjamin" Apicella


Vico Equense, Italy is a small bay town near Naples.
Ciro "Benjamin" Apicella, my great-grandfather whom I am named after, emigrated from Naples, Italy to Ellis Island, New York in December of 1920. His mother, Maria Apicella, brought Ciro to America at the age of 7 with his siblings and cousins. His family left their small hometown of Vico Equense for the prosperity of America. Seeking to assimilate, Ciro took the name of the judge that granted him citizenship--Benjamin.

When he was younger, Benjamin's small frame lead him to dream of being a jockey. As a man of 5'6 and 125 lbs, he became a Golden Gloves featherweight boxer. While working in a factory he met his future wife, Florence. After enlisting in the army and working as a ship sitter prior to World War II, Benjamin was honorably discharged for the birth of his daughter, Ida Marie. Together with his wife he raised his daughter in New York City.
The S.S America (1908), which Ciro and his family traveled on from Naples, Italy to Ellis Island, NY

Benjamin took pride in his family life, working hard in brokerage firms and with the US Postal Service.  He refused to drive a car (his wife once intimated that an old accident may have created his dislike of driving, though no further information is known). He would often come home to his daughter to play with a Lionel train set and allowed her to comb his hair, despite the fact that his well-kept hair rarely needed it. At special occasions, Florence insisted that he dance with his daughter to "Daddy's Little Girl," to which he always readily complied.

After the births of his grandchildren, Thomas and Donna Overton, Benjamin and his wife would spend their weekends with the family at their daughter's home. Enjoying both gardening and cooking, Benjamin frequently spent his time outside his daughter's home tending to tomato plants and rose bushes. In fact, his daughter's dog got attached to his weekly presence, usually staying close enough to Benjamin to cause him to trip.

A man of few words and slow temper, Benjamin's family would always take notice of the few moments he allowed a smile to slip through his lips, exclaiming "Oh look, Papa smiled!"

Ciro "Benjamin" Apicella in uniform
Benjamin was diagnosed with colon cancer and promptly treated at a veteran's hospital in Brooklyn, NY. He underwent radiation therapy, the only treatment available at the time. In December of 1977, Ciro "Benjamin" Apicella, beloved husband, father, and grandfather passed away from colon cancer. It was a bitter pill for his young grandchildren and close-knit family. Ciro's classic story of the American Dream is still told to the growing generations of this family, who know him as a strong, kind, and wise man.

I unfortunately never had the opportunity of meeting my great-grandfather firsthand, though I have come to know him through old records and family accounts. There is no better way to honor his memory than the 4k for Cancer.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this in support of the cause.

Always,

James