Pedal for Pat to Present $100,000 check to the Pat Summitt Foundation
February 1, 2018
KNOXVILLE, TN–Pedal for Pat co-chairs Joshua Crisp and Michelle Brooke-Marciniak will present a check in the amount of $100,000 to the Pat Summitt Foundation during the Tennessee Lady Vols versus Texas A & M Aggies basketball game in Knoxville tonight. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. EST.
“We are honored to make a significant contribution to pay tribute to Pat’s legacy and raise awareness for Alzheimer’s,” Crisp said. “This event and the donations raised would not have been possible without a selfless team of individuals, sponsors, and support staff who gave their all. We accomplished more together than I ever could have by myself.”
Crisp created the Pedal for Pat initiative in March 2017 to honor Summitt and bring awareness to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Crisp is president and founder of Solinity, a faith-based company which owns and operates assisted living and memory care communities throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, and South Carolina.
The funds were raised during the inaugural 2017 Pedal for Pat event. A core group of “Summitt Cyclists,” including Crisp and Brooke-Marciniak, pedaled an average of a grueling 100 miles per day for 11 consecutive days from Oct. 17-27, through Tennessee, Georgia and Florida in order to reach their 1,098 mile goal concluding in Key Largo, FL.
“What the Pedal for Pat cyclists achieved is nothing short of remarkable and inspiring. We are tremendously grateful,” said Patrick Wade, executive director of The Pat Summitt Foundation. “The funds they raised for The Pat Summitt Foundation will make a significant impact on the lives of patients and families and it will help researchers in their search for treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.”
This 1,098-mile cycling journey—symbolic of the number of the NCAA record-setting career wins garnered by the late University of Tennessee coach Pat Summitt—not only raised funds for the Pat Summitt Foundation, it also created awareness of The Pat Summitt Clinic at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, TN.
The Pat Summitt Clinic greatly improves access to healthcare services for families and patients facing Alzheimer’s disease in a facility created to advance Alzheimer’s research, detection, treatment, family caregiver support, and ultimately, lead to a cure.
Brooke-Marciniak, a Lady Vol Hall of Famer and a member of The Pat Summitt Foundation Advisory Board said, “Pat left us with the challenge to carry on her mission of supporting the Foundation and her Clinic. For me, this ride was life-changing; a special journey that totally pushed me out of my comfort zone in true Pat fashion.
“As a result of the amazing success and incredible support for Pedal for Pat, Josh and I have created Pedal for Alzheimer’s, Ltd., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to creating cycling events— like Pedal for Pat—that raise money, create awareness and provide education directed toward the mission of finding a cure for Alzheimer’s. We are already gearing up for the 2018 Pedal for Pat ride with details to be released soon.”
Following the check presentation, the Summitt Cyclists will be signing autographs on the Thompson-Boling Arena concourse.