“Ride to Remember” charity event increases awareness of dementia, raises funds for UCSF Fresno Alzheimer’s and Memory Center

FRESNO - The second annual “Ride to Remember,” a charity ride benefiting the UCSF Fresno Alzheimer’s & Memory Center (AMC), will be held Saturday, September 19, 2009. On-site registration begins at 9:15 a.m. at the UCSF Fresno Center for Medical Education and Research, located at 155 N. Fresno Street at Divisadero in downtown Fresno, and will end at Riverland Resort in Kingsburg.

The 100-mile ride is a best hand with participants from various counties and all coming together at the final location. The event is open to motorcycles and cars. Advance registration is $25 per rider and $15 per passenger. Same day registration is $30. Registration is required and includes: continental breakfast, lunch, program, T-shirt, best hand, and goodie bags for the first 100 people to register. The event will also feature casino and bike games, live auction, music, vendors, bike blessing, lodging and camping. Spectators are welcome - a $10 donation at the door is appreciated and includes a meal.

Those who register by August 19th will be invited to attend a private party on August 22.

The Ride to Remember was created by Sandy Sandoval, whose father was assisted by the Alzheimer’s Center. A long-time motorcycle rider, Sandoval organized the ride as an ideal and fun way to give back to the organization that provided much needed care and support for her father and family.

The UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program is a major clinical branch of the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. The purpose of the UCSF Fresno program is to train and educate physicians, conduct research aimed at addressing health issues pertinent to the Valley and provide superior health care to residents in the region. The UCSF Fresno Alzheimer’s & Memory Center is dedicated to improving the quality of life for patients with Alzheimer’s and other memory impairments by offering complete diagnostic services, treatment planning, counseling, caregiver support groups, and educational opportunities for patients, families and health-care professionals. The center also participates in valuable research that may help find treatments to halt the disease in the future. It is one of 10 state-funded Alzheimer’s research centers in California, and the only one of its kind in the San Joaquin Valley. The center serves residents in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Mariposa, Stanislaus, Tulare, San Luis Obispo, and Tuolumne counties For more information or to register in advance, please call (559) 347-7170 or visit: www.ridetoremembercencal.com