Just a random stop....
Local philanthropist Scott Van Duzer and his team of St. Lucie County Boys and Girls Club members braved temperatures in the upper 80s Tuesday, pedaling through Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce during the second day of their monthlong, 1,000-mile Washington D.C. bicycle trip to raise blood donation awareness.
The team launched its Be a Hero Bicycle Tour on Monday from Florida's Blood Centers' Lake Park office in Palm Beach. The caravan, which includes several adult riders, four youth club members and a 38-foot camper, made a stop at a Martin County Boys and Girls Club before holding two blood drives at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center and Big Apple Pizza in Fort Pierce. The four youth riders informed more than 100 fellow club members of the importance of becoming lifelong donors once they are eligible.
"They were excited to see us and had a lot of questions for us,"said Fort Pierce Infinity Teen Center member Joseph Noble, 17. Noble said his mother needed a blood transfusion after the traumatic delivery of his older sister, three years before his birth. The teen plans to share his story with other children during scheduled stops along the way.
Van Duzer said his team is confirmed to meet with the U.S. Surgeon General on July 11 in Washington D.C. He added the deputy surgeon general will ride the last 50 miles with the team.
"Someone needs blood every two seconds. Forty-four thousand people have to donate every day to meet the need," Van Duzer said.
The four youth riders hope word of the trip spreads to the White House.
"President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, we're coming to see you," said Ken Pruitt Unit member Cody Hatt, 14. "First Lady Michelle is big on health and if she sees we're trying to promote awareness in our generation, she might get involved."
http://m.tcpalm.com/news/2012/jun/12/st-lucie-boys-girls-club-bike-team-makes-stops/
