The HD 'Ramble Round the Colonies is a 1400 mile bicycle ride through 8 of the original 13 colonies, to heighten public awareness of Huntington's Disease and to raise funds for research towards a cure. Marie Nemec of Grand Junction, CO and John and Marie Elsner of Cedarburg, WI will begin in New Hampshire on April 26 and pedal to the 17th Annual Convention of HDSA in Columbus, OH May 31 through June 2nd. In Baltimore, MD they will be joined by Charlotte Reicks, also of Grand Junction, CO.

The Ramble begins April 26 in Manchester, New Hampshire. The official "kick-off" is in Boston, alongside both the USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides") and the Massachusetts General Hospital laboratory where the gene for HD was discovered in 1993. The ride then heads through the Berkshire Hills, through Hartford CN, and into New York City. The riders will visit "Ground Zero" and the HDSA National Office. They will continue on through Philadelphia, Baltimore, along the historic C & O Canal route through Maryland, west to Pittsburgh, and on to "The Western Reserve" ... Ohio! Along the way they will visit hospitals/research centers, clinics, and nursing homes that serve families touched by this devastating disease. Their ride will end at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Columbus, whos is hosting the 17th Annual HDSA Convention May 31 through June 2. Guest riders are encouraged! E-mail us for a ride itinerary and plan to join us for a day or more! By averaging 50 miles a day, the ride will take 5 weeks.

Although none of the riders come from a family with Huntington's, they share a commitment to contributing to its cure. In June 1998, at the invitation of her Internet friend, Carmen Leal-Pock, author of the book Faces of Huntington's, Marie attended the National HDSA Convention in Denver, CO. After meeting many families affected by HD, she was deeply touched by their courage. She became increasingly involved in the cause to cure HD. Applying her Christian faith "...let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth (1 John 3:18), Marie has pedaled from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean twice, and from Canada to Mexico covering 7,500 miles in three rides, and raising over $67,000 to cure HD. In 2000, Marie was awarded the Annual "Hunt-Diser" Hero Award, presented in recognition of outstanding contributions in the effort to cure Huntington's Disease. This ride is chronicled on the Internet at www.angelfire.com/journal/bikeforthecure. "Border War on HD" from Canada to Mexico was completed in 2001. This year's ride will be her fourth. Her husband Ron, and sons Kevin and Justin have been most supportive of her efforts.

During the ride, a daily message will be written, which recounts the day's highlights and progress. E-mail Marie's husband Ron at ronnemec@bigfoot.com to request subscription. HD Ramble Round the Colonies can also be tracked on the Internet, at www.bikeforthecure.org.