MEDIA CONTACT: Shannon Cutts (mc@mentorconnect-ed.org)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Woman Bikes Cross-Country to Raise Support for Eating Disorders
MentorCONNECT teams up with a remarkable young woman to raise awareness of eating disorders with a cross-country bike ride
(Montauk, NY, August 27, 2011) - Many eating disorders sufferers will exercise in their relentless pursuit of thinness. But this fall, a young woman named Emi Berger takes to the open road for a cross-country bike ride with a different purpose.
Emi is biking from the lighthouse in Montauk, NY, all the way to San Diego, CA, to raise awareness of eating disorders as a deadly but treatable disease.
Dubbed “Tour de MentorCONNECT”, Emi’s idea to bike cross-country was born after a late-night conversation with a friend. They shared their mutual love of endurance events and came up with the idea to bike cross-country to raise money for causes they championed. Emi and her friend decided they would each choose a single non-profit organization as the beneficiary of their fundraising ride. In Emi’s own words, “Right away I knew I wanted to raise money for an eating disorder support and recovery program. I just had to find the right one.“
After weeks of research, Emi finally settled on MentorCONNECT, an international non-profit organization that provides no-fee eating disorders mentoring and support services to recovering persons. Emi says, “I chose MentorCONNECT as the beneficiary of the funds I raise from my ride because this non-profit organization provides those struggling with a safe and easy way to ask for help, confront their disease and, with the help of a community of others, find ways to recover and rebuild their lives.”
Emi’s passion for eating disorders awareness matters came through her role in supporting a close friend through a decades-long battle with bulimia. It is estimated that between 1 and 4 percent of the U.S. population suffers from deadly eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, eating disorders not otherwise specified, and binge eating disorder, and the number of affected individuals continues to climb. Meanwhile, the battle to obtain adequate insurance coverage for eating disorders treatment continues to plague affected individuals and families, meaning that the quest for alternate means of support is never-ending.
Emi has set a goal to raise $10,000 in funds, 100% of which will go to support the non-profit work of MentorCONNECT.
Donating to Emi’s cause is as easy as the click of a mouse button. Visit Emi’s ride page on the MentorCONNECT website to donate via Paypal, credit card, or check. http://www.mentorconnect-ed.org/tourdementorconnect/
You can also follow Emi’s progress on her ride by visiting her blog. The link is available on the MentorCONNECT ride page.
“We are very excited about partnering with Emi Berger for this historic cross-country ride. We think Emi’s effort sends a clear message that there is always something more we each can do to raise awareness and help those who are struggling to hang on to hope”, says Shannon Cutts, Executive Director for MentorCONNECT and survivor of a 15-year battle with anorexia and bulimia.
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More About MentorCONNECT
MentorCONNECT, a non-profit organization, is the first global eating disorders mentoring community. Females and males aged 14 and up actively engaged in recovery from anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and eating disorders not otherwise specified are encouraged to join. Members can match with a mentor for individual support, participate in group mentoring activities, join in weekly support group meetings, receive daily supportive emails, enjoy monthly teleconferences, create a personal recovery blog, and more. MentorCONNECT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID: 32041949804). www.mentorconnect-ed.org
