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Cycle for Sight

Chris Downey Rows His Own Cycle for Sight
LightHouse News

Chris Downey Rows His Own Cycle for Sight

Chris Downey, immediate past Chair of the LightHouse board and renowned blind architect, is a bike rider. He has ridden as part of Team Enchanted Hills in Cycle for Sight, a fundraiser to raise funds for Enchanted Hills Camp, almost every year in the past decade. As a blind rider, Chris and his tandem partners always choose to ride the hilly 50-mile route. If Chris is participating, he wants to be all in. Cycle for Sight is an event he looks forward to every year.
 
During the pandemic, Chris has had to curtail his cycling, as his tandem partners aren’t in his household, and on a bike they’d be closer than six feet apart. Thinking creatively, Chris thought of how he could take part in this year’s Virtual Cycle for Sight where participants can invent their own athletic way to exercise. In addition to bike riding, Chris is an avid rower and usually goes in a group in a racing shell with a total of two to eight rowers. Although he has done solo rowing with an accompanying vessel providing navigational input. Sadly, COVID-19 has kept Chris off the water as well.
 
But this year to take part in Virtual Cycle for Sight on April 17, Chris will be rowing the distance of the crossing of the English Channel: 33.8 kilometers. Chris won’t even have to leave his garage. He will be using his rowing machine. A dedicated athlete, Chris will be challenging himself to row this distance by rowing at 20 minutes at a time, with five-minute breaks, anticipating completing his goal in a few hours.
 
When training on his rowing machine, Chris fancies himself as an electronic “Pigpen”. Like the character in the comic strip Peanuts, Chris is surrounded by a cloud, only his is comprised of Bluetooth, WIFI and streaming data. Using his phone like a conductor’s wand and screen reader VoiceOver as the instrument, he will be listening through wireless earbuds to his rows-per-minute, distance covered, heartrate and the motivating music of his choice.
 
You can emulate Chris and create your own individual athletic event for this pandemic year’s Cycle for Sight. Support Enchanted Hills Camp on Saturday April 17 with a ride, run, hike, walk, dance, swim, skate or row for at least 90 minutes. Sign up at the Cycle for Sight website, and be part of Team LightHouse. We would be thrilled if you post photos of your virtual participation using hashtag #C4S2021 or email your photos to events@lighthouse-sf.org. The event includes a morning livestream opening ceremony, and then we will regroup in the afternoon for a virtual party. The $45 registration fee includes a goody bag mailed to your home. If you opt for the $85 VIP registration, you’ll receive a premium goody bag.
 
Even if you can’t participate in Cycle for Sight, you can support Chris Downey’s row at lighthouse-sf.org/donate and choose Cycle for Sight from the dropdown menu.
 
We can’t wait to see you at the opening ceremony.

This Year, Roll Your Own Cycle for Sight
LightHouse News

This Year, Roll Your Own Cycle for Sight

We’re thrilled to announce the return of Cycle for Sight, an annual fundraiser for Enchanted Hills Camp (EHC) that we’ve held for nearly 20 years. Cycle for Sight is run in partnership with the Rotary Club of Napa. Through Cycle for Sight, we raise funds for camperships.

Last year, in the beginning months of the pandemic, Cycle for Sight, like many other events, was cancelled. A year later, after we’ve all learned how to hold events online, Cycle for Sight returns, in virtual form.

Traditionally, Cycle for Sight involves people riding bike routes of 15, 25, or 50 miles through the landscapes of Napa Valley to raise funds for EHC. Many blind and sighted bike riders team up to share the experience together on a tandem bicycle. This year’s virtual format provides new opportunities, which Camp Director Tony Fletcher is excited about.

“I encourage people to use the day to do some form of creative exercise. You can still ride a bike for 15, 25 or 50 miles, or you can do something else that involves 90 minutes of exercise, like hiking, swimming, running, or walking. It’s great that people who haven’t been able to participate in Cycle for Sight before will have many ways to do so this year.”

On April 17, the day will start with a virtual opening ceremony. Then everyone will go out and exercise for EHC and reconvene online in the afternoon for an after party.

We encourage you to post photos of yourself exercising on the day with the hashtag #C4S2021 on social media.

You have two registration options this year. General registration is $45 and comes with a goody bag. VIP registration is $85, and you will get an enhanced goody bag.

Exercising with a physically distanced group? You can create a team. Want to supercharge your fundraising? Why not create a fundraising team?

You can also buy a Cycle for Sight registration as a giftfor someone else or donate to Cycle for Sight.

We can’t wait to hear how you’re going to participate.

RSVP for Cycle For Sight by April 15

Photos from Cycle for Sight: Cycling with a side of fun and fundraising
LightHouse News

Photos from Cycle for Sight: Cycling with a side of fun and fundraising

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As usual, Cycle for Sight was a day full of sunshine, good food, fitness and a key source of fundraising for Enchanted Hills Camp as we rebuild!

For over a decade, this event, co-presented with the Rotary Club of Napa, has brought together blind community members, blind athletes and family and friends alike. Thank you to all the members of Team Enchanted Hills, volunteers and donors for making this year a success!

Focus on your health this fall: participate in the National Fitness Challenge
LightHouse News

Focus on your health this fall: participate in the National Fitness Challenge

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The San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind & Visually Impaired is proud to be one of three California partners with the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) and the Anthem Foundation for the National Fitness Challenge in 2018.

The goal of the National Fitness Challenge is to raise the physical activity levels of each participant to the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This includes 10,000 steps and 30 active minutes per day.

The campaign provides participants with Fitbits to track their steps and fitness activity between October and May.

In addition to helping participants find creative ways to increase their daily steps by matching them with fitness partners and offering discounted gym memberships, the LightHouse supports participants throughout the course of the campaign with a wide variety of fitness and wellness programming and services.

Join us in the coming months for a variety of activities, from hiking to yoga and beyond! To foster overall wellbeing, we also have non-fitness oriented programs in lifestyle skills like cooking and technology.

At the LightHouse, you can:

Blindness is not the barrier many think it is to achieving your fitness goals and enjoying greater well-being — and the LightHouse is here to help get into the rhythm.  It’s not too late to join the NFC if you already have a Fitbit — we welcome new participants to join throughout the campaign.

For more information on the National Fitness Challenge, For more information, contact Amber Sherrard at asherrard@lighthouse-sf.org.

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Ride with Frank Welte

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Cycle for Sight 2017 is upon us! To support our many wonderful team members in their rides through Napa this year, we’ve created individual team pages where you can donate and share the story of their ride. To view all the 2017 teams, click here.

I’m riding with Robert!

In a aple green shirt, Frank smiles in front of a grey background.

When was your first Cycle for Sight? 2017 will be my first Cycle For Sight.

What do you love most about riding for Cycle for Sight? I’m looking forward to helping the LightHouse, getting outdoors, and making new friends.

What’s your best cycling memory? Probably cruising down a not-too-steep hill on the back of a tandem.

What’s your favorite quote? “I was put on this earth to accomplish certain things. I am so far behind now that I will never die.”

Partner up with Frank:

If you would like to ride with  Frank, contact Tony Fletcher at afletcher@lighthouse-sf.org  or 415-694-7319.

Donate to Frank’s Ride

You can support his ride across Napa by donating here.

Sign Up to Ride

You can sign up to ride at Cycle4Sight.com. We are aware that the website has some accessibility issues, so if you’d like us to sign you up, email tfletcher@lighthouse-sf.org.

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Ride with Art Peterson

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Cycle for Sight 2017 is upon us! To support our many wonderful team members in their rides through Napa this year, we’ve created individual team pages where you can donate and share the story of their ride. To view all the 2017 teams, click here.

I’m riding with Rob!Two men pedal a tandem bike whilst giving the camera a thumbs up.

When was your first Cycle for Sight? My first Cycle 4 Sight was 2016.

Why do you love riding in Cycle for Sight? I like the ride because it gives me the chance to do some serious miles again since losing my sight.

What’s your best cycling memory? My favorite cycling memory is tough to decide, having had so many over the course of 40,000 miles of bike touring, but I would have to pick my 1976 ride up the 142-mile Icefields Parkway from Banff to Jasper National Parks in the Canadian Rockies.  The scenery was incredible, and the weather was perfect.  It was the highlight of my 1900-mile Bicentennial tour of the Canadian Rockies and vicinity.

What’s your favorite quote? “Good judgement is the result of experience, and experience is the result of bad judgement.”

Partner up with Art:

If you would like to ride with Art, contact Tony Fletcher at afletcher@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7319.

Donate to Art’s Ride

You can support his ride across Napa by donating here.

Sign Up to Ride

You can sign up to ride at Cycle4Sight.com. We are aware that the website has some accessibility issues, so if you’d like us to sign you up, email afletcher@lighthouse-sf.org.

Cycle for Sight: Join Team LightHouse in Napa on April 22!
LightHouse News

Cycle for Sight: Join Team LightHouse in Napa on April 22!

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“She’s game for things that a lot of people aren’t,” says Marc Sutton of his fitness partner Ginger Jui. “She’s willing to go on dirt, she’s willing to go down steep stairs. The more you ride with someone, the more you have that built trust. I feel safe with her, but I feel like it’s not an overcautious safe — it’s just like, alright, let’s go have fun… something exciting is going to happen here. Let’s see what it is.”

Marc and Ginger have been riding tandem together for going on eight years. For Marc, who is blind, riding with Ginger creates a physical outlet that gets him out of his mind and into his body. For Ginger, it’s a pedaling meditation and a chance to catch up and talk about life. Both have gained a lifelong friendship. Get to know their story in the video below.

Every spring, LightHouse rallies a team of blind and sighted cyclists like Marc and Ginger to ride and train together for Napa Rotary’s Cycle for Sight and raise funds for Enchanted Hills Camp. You can ride on your own or join a tandem team for the 15, 25 or 50 mile routes through wine country with more than 2,500 other cyclists. This is also great opportunity for Anthem and USABA’s National Fitness Challenge to set new and different fitness goals!

Start by signing up for Cycle for Sight and select Team LightHouse at signup. Then contact Tony Fletcher at tfletcher@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7319 if you’re interested in being part of a tandem team. Check out the existing members of our team!

If you’re curious about riding tandem but haven’t done it before, don’t fret — we’re offering free trainings in early April, so you can join the event with confidence. Mark your calendars for these upcoming training sessions at Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP) at 3075 Adeline St #200 in Berkeley. Tandem bikes will be provided onsite, so contact Dagny Brown at events@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7333 to reserve your spot.

April 6 – 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

April 13 – 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

April 15 – 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Members of Team LightHouse get a snazzy biking jersey and the opportunity to help raise vital funds for Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind. All participating cyclists will receive an individual rider profile on our Cycle for Sight page, with a built in donation form. If you’re interested you can crowd fund via your individual rider page after you sign up and answer a few questions about yourself.

Raise $300 or more to receive a free stay the evening before the ride at Enchanted Hills, including meals! We also offer a prize for the person or tandem team who raises the most contributions. All proceeds support Enchanted Hills Camp. We hope you’ll join us!

Visit www.cycle4sight.com for route information, start times and more info.

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Ride With James Whimpey

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Cycle for Sight 2017 is upon us! To support our many wonderful team members in their rides through Napa this year, we’ve created individual team pages where you can donate and share the story of their ride. To view all the 2017 teams, click here.

I’m riding with Marc Sutton!

Two male bikers zoom by in full gear in front of a grassy hill.

When was your first Cycle for Sight? This is my first Cycle for Sight so I can’t answer the first two questions but I can’t wait to take part!

What’s your best cycling memory? Spending a couple of months living in the French Alps and riding my bike every day through some beautiful mountain passes.

What’s your favorite quote? “I was put on this earth to accomplish certain things. I am so far behind now that I will never die.”

Partner up with James:

If you would like to ride with James, contact Tony Fletcher at afletcher@lighthouse-sf.org  or 415-694-7319.

Donate to James’s Ride

You can support his ride across Napa by donating here.

Sign Up to Ride

You can sign up to ride at Cycle4Sight.com. We are aware that the website has some accessibility issues, so if you’d like us to sign you up, email tfletcher@lighthouse-sf.org.

Cycle for Sight
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Cycle for Sight

This year’s Cycle for Sight is going virtual! April 17, 2021

For 2021, we invite you to ride, run, walk, or hike in support of Enchanted Hills Camp! Cycle for Sight is a yearly fundraising cycle event for Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind. Come out support Enchanted Hills Camp by participating – with options to ride, run, walk or hike. Sign up to be a member of Team Enchanted Hills when you register, and post your photos for the annual Cycle for Sight using hashtag #C4S2021. We’ll come together in the morning via live stream for our opening ceremony, then regroup in the afternoon for a post ride virtual party. $45/$85 (VIP) Registration Fee includes a goody bag mailed to your home.

Register here.

Can’t Ride? You Can Still Donate

All proceeds support Enchanted Hills Camp. We hope you’ll join us!
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Ride With Anthony Dalli

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Cycle for Sight 2017 is upon us! To support our many wonderful team members in their rides through Napa this year, we’ve created individual team pages where you can donate and share the story of their ride. To view all the 2017 teams, click here.

I’m riding with Carson!
Anthony smiling, standing with his bike behind his tandem parter

When was your first Cycle for Sight? April 22, 2015 riding the 15 mile ride.

Why do you love riding in Cycle for Sight? Helping raise money for Camp, meeting new friends, branching out and enjoying life.

What’s your best cycling memory? Riding with friends, sightseeing the beautiful Napa country. Hanging out at the rest stop with Jimmy Cong, the musician. Riding with Nasir Acqbal for his first ever ride of 25 miles.

What’s your favorite quote? “Anything in life worth doing is worth overdoing.”

Partner up with Anthony:

If you would like to ride with Anthony, contact Tony Fletcher at afletcher@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7319.

Donate to Anthony’s Ride

You can support his ride across Napa by donating here.

Sign Up to Ride

You can sign up to ride at Cycle4Sight.com. We are aware that the website has some accessibility issues, so if you’d like us to sign you up, email afletcher@lighthouse-sf.org.