About BLAZE'N FOR THE RAISE'N

On Saturday July 16th, 2005, Claire Mix [about] began an extraordinary journey when she crossed the Golden Gate Bridge on her way to the California State Capitol in Sacramento, where she arrived on July 23, 2005! What is even more extraordinary is that Claire suffers from a neurological disorder in the Parkinson family of diseases, and that she crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and made this 120+ mile journey on a Rascal Mobility scooter.

Claire is "blazen" to raise funds for - and awareness of - the Parkinson family of diseases. But this is not only a way to raise funds for The National Parkinson Foundation. She hopes to inspire her students to never give up, and to "GET UP!" (off the couch), "GET OUT!"(side), and "GET IN"(volved). The first road trip may be over but the journey has just begun, and your support can still make a big difference!


This is a fundraiser, so one important way you can help is by making a donation. Whether large or small, your contribution will help support essential Parkinson research efforts, patient services, education, and outreach.

In the United States it is estimated that 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, joining the 1.5 million Americans who currently have Parkinson disease. While the condition usually develops after the age of 65, 15% of those diagnosed are under 50, as Claire was.

Visit the National Parkinson Foundation web site for more information on these diseases.

A SPECIAL "THANK YOU"
Christian Pflaumer is associated with Life-In-Motion.org, and Mixer wants to thank him, and the organization, for all of their help with the PR for the fundraiser. In a recent email Christian told Mixer, "(Life-in-Motion.org) made it possible that I could help you publicize your scooter ride, which was great fun."

• Be sure to visit the original Blaze'n For The Raise'n blog, too!

• New in July 2015 for the 10th Anniversary we have set up a Playlist on Claire's YouTube channel featuring videos about Blaze'n For The Raise'n. Some of those videos are embedded below, but click here to take a look at the entire playlist!

• Always looking at milestones, our blog received its' 2,000th hit on July 17th or 18, and its' 3,000th hit on July 27, 2005!


Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Day Four: Vacaville

I called Mixer about 10 minutes ago and she and Eric had just gotten into the hotel in Vacaville. It was a 30 mile day and even with the temperature around 97 degrees for most of the day, the heat never bothered her once. Sacramento is looking forward to a bit of a cool-down over the next few days (mid-to-upper 90's), so let's hope that holds out for Mixer's return on Saturday.

Mixer did say she was still having a great time, and that they hit a lot of scenic areas today. Her one complaint was that, once they got to Vacaville, the handicap ramps at street corners disappeared again. She did make a point to say that the bike trails were very well maintained, though.

This morning as they were preparing to set out they discovered that the van has an alarm system, but did not know how to turn it off. Mixer said she heard a girl ask her mom if she could help, and then saw the girl race over to Eric and snatch the keys from his hand. She put the key in the lock and turned it, and the alarm went off. Her name was Kira, and she is moving here from south Florida with her parents. She is planning to be an art student, and they are staying at the motel while looking for a place to live.


One of their rest stops was at Lagoon Valley Park, where she encountered a group of elementary school children who were very curious about what she was doing and why she was on a scooter. She said they were probably 4th graders, and they followed her around the park pied-piper style for a bit before she headed out of the park.

A bit later she met a family from Brazil, who had never been to the US before. They thought she was crazy for what she was doing.

Following doctor's orders, Mixer will be taking a day of rest on Wednesday. She and Eric will spend the day relaxing at the hotel, and resume the trip on Thursday.

Lagoon Valley Park photo is from the DyeStatCal web site

posted by jdwarrick at 7:36 PM

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