Ride Updates
Check back here for weekly updates from Donna as she bikes across the United States. You can also catch Donna and her progress on social media.
Donna's Facebook!
Updates:
5/7/24 - Final Update - From Donna
“Finish Ride” - We used a Ride with GPS App to navigate our daily rides across the US. At the end of every ride, the message was “Finish Ride”. It is somewhat bittersweet to say that on May 1st that message came up for the last time as my cycling sisters and I finished our ride. That morning we left Palatka, FL and traveling mostly along a beautiful bike path on a perfect day, made our way to West St. Augustine. Gathering at the fire station there, all outfitted proudly in our Woman Tours Bike Jerseys, with a police escort, cycling in a bit of a formation and led by the oldest riders (those over 70 - and I was right there) we cycled through St. Augustine to Anastasia State Park. Many of us were met and cheered on by family and friends (for me Bill, Terry and Lynne came to cheer me on). At arrival at the beach we carried our bikes to the water and briefly dipped our front wheels in the Atlantic Ocean - we had dipped our rear wheels in the Pacific in San Diego on March 7th. That evening we had a banquet including a champagne toast, some “recognitions”, recaps, a clever poem and I was proud to be a member of the “Flat Tire Quartet” performing a song. The next day bikes were taken for shipping, many of us left for the airport, or went with their families. There were tearful good-byes. For two months 27 of us (24 riders and 3 guides) formed a family of sorts, experiencing a unique, amazing experience. Saying good-bye was tough. For me I loved seeing the country from a bike, as you really see, feel, hear and smell it all as you pass by. Personally, I faced physical challenges I didn’t anticipate, had to be flexible with my goals, cut myself a break, and rely on the support and encouragement of others. I learned to “ride my own ride”, that I was not one of the fastest or strongest riders as I might have been when I was younger - and admired those who were. I rode with great joy and struggled with great pain and reluctantly had to ”tap out” from time to time to keep my eye on the final goal of riding across country. I shared this experience with the most amazing women who have become close friends - who will hold a very special place in my heart forever and rekindled my friendship with my college roommate and biking buddy - Jean. In addition, I am humbled to say I raised over 20,500 dollars for the Payson Center for Cancer Care. Upon arrival in Concord by bus from Logan Airport, I was surprised by a warm welcome - with cheers, pom-poms and bells - from some very good friends, and staff from the Payson Center and Concord Hospital (many who are now friends as well). Yes the ride is finished but it will always be with me.
5/2/24 - Donna's homecoming! A group of Donna's friend and staff from the Concord Hospital Trust and Payson Center for Cancer Care greeted Donna at the Bus Station as she arrived in Concord. It was a surprise and a great way to end an amazing trip!
5/1/24 - Donna's journey has come to an end! It is a bittersweet moment, but everyone is so proud of Donna on this amazing accomplishment. Donna arrived in St. Augustine around noon today and will return back to New Hampshire tomorrow evening. Donations will be accepted until May 31st. Thank you to everyone who has made a contribution - and thanks for following along!!
4/30/24 - Can you believe it!? Donna only has ONE MORE DAY of this incredible trip. The friends she has made along the way and the experiences she has had, well that is what you would call a trip of a lifetime. Which is what Donna set out for at the beginning of this trip - and all in honor of the Payson Center for Cancer Care. Thank you Donna for all you have done and we all have enjoyed following you along.
4/27/24 - Donna will be arriving in Tallahassee, FL very soon! 5 days left to go until she arrives in St. Augustine.
4/23/24 - Donna has officially crossed into Florida! This is the last leg of the trip with only 9 days to go. Congrats Donna on being almost finished with this incredible journey.
4/22/24 - The last leg of the trip is here! Today Donna is in Dauphin Island, AL and will cross over into Pensacola, FL by tomorrow. On Friday (4/19) Donna was finishing up her time in New Orleans; "This morning's ride started in the Garden District, through the French Quarter, then through beautiful old neighborhoods, along the Gulf. Bridge closures presented some challenges, detours, and shuttles. Then we traveled along bayouts, nature preserves, houses built on stilts...and then we crossed into Mississippi this afternoon and are spending the night in Bay Saint Louis, MS. Tomorrow we head to Pascagoula, MS."
Below are pictures from Mississippi and Alabama:
4/17/24 - On April 15th, Donna arrived in DeRidder, LA. They have officially left Texas and are on their last leg of the trip with 15 days to go!
"After spending 19 days in Texas we crossed into Louisiana on Saturday. Yesterday we rode our bikes over the Mississippi River via the John James Audubon Bridge. We've seen the great beauty of our country and some rougher areas as well. Today (4/16) we traveled through Baton Rouge on our way to Gonzales, LA. Tough headwinds and rough roads made much of the day a challenge. However, riding along a bike path on a levee with the Mississippi River to the right and LSU to the left was pretty cool. We have a long ride to New Orleans tomorrow, followed by a much-needed rest day!"
4/15/24 - Check out Concord Hospital's facebook post today!
4/11/24 - Donna will be arriving in Lumberton, TX today. This is her last stop in Texas before heading into Louisiana on Saturday. Donna only has a few states left on this incredible journey!
4/6/24 - The group will pass through Austin, TX today! The southern tier ladies are just about halfway through Texas and by the end of next week, will be crossing into Louisiana. Time is flying!
"For the last few days, we've been cycling through what is called Texas Hill Country. Beautiful - but the important description is "Hill Country." Up and up, followed by long downhills and beautiful rolling hills. Texas Hill country is on the verge of exploding in blossoms - and is greener, with more trees than the other parts of Texas we have traveled through! Until the past two days, the Texas headwinds have been incredible - making for some very tough cycling. And many Texas roads are paved with "Chip Seal" which is large gravel stones in pavement. It has made for very, very bumpy rides! Not a fan! However, Texas has been beautiful, with a variety of landscapes, small towns, and much history, vast and interesting. If anyone ever doubts how huge the state of Texas is - try bicycling across it!"
4/4/24 - Donna is grateful! Grateful to be doing this ride and grateful to everyone for their support.
4/1/24 - No April Fools here! Donna has officially reached $20,000!! A huge thank you to everyone who donated and sent in words of encouragement. We are truly so appreciative. The fundraising doesn't stop here though! Donations are still being accepted, despite reaching the $20,000 mark. If you have not donated and would like to, please consider donating online or by sending a check to Concord Hospital Trust at 250 Pleasant Street, Concord NH 03301. All checks must be made out to Concord Hospital Trust.
Donna is currently in Texas and over the next 3 weeks, will be making her way across the Lone Star State!
3/31/24 - Donna appears in the Concord Monitor!
Read the Concord Monitor Article!
3/26/24 - Pictures from New Mexico and the first part of Texas! Photo Credit, Donna Kuethe & WomanTours Facebook:
Photo: WomanTours Facebook Page - Can you spot Pete!?!?
The group at the top of Emory Pass in New Mexico
3/25/24 - Donna crossed into El Paso, TX on March 24th. Donna reported that it was actually unsafe to cycle yesterday as there were very high winds and dust (think top of Mt. Washington!!!). They were shuttled from Las Cruces to El Paso and from there biked to a tiny town, Sierra Blanca. She is officially in the Lone Star State!
Donna has also raised $19,651 - she is only $349 away from reaching her goal of $20,000.
3/20/24 - "We entered New Mexico on Tuesday. Beautiful! We've had some challenging headwinds and cross winds but overall the riding and weather is good."
3/19/24 - Today, Donna will cross into New Mexico! They will arrive in the town of Lordsburg today, and then for the next week pass through Silver City, Kingston, and La Cruces, NM.
3/15/24 - The first full week has passed since Donna has began her ride across the country. She is now in Mesa, AZ and today is her first "rest day." The next week brings Donna into New Mexico, and then shortly thereafter, Texas. "It has been a week since we dipped our rear wheels into the Pacific and started pedaling - the best part has been getting to know my new cycling friends, and seeing the beauty of this country up close. The worst part - well, it's a bit painful to sit down!"
Donna is also very close to reaching her goal of raising $20,000 for the Payson Center for Cancer Care! To date, she has raised $18,461. Please spread the word to help her reach her goal and a HUGE THANK YOU to all those who have donated so far. You are appreciated.
3/13/24 - "The last couple of days, I was hot and tired, everything hurt and then I looked down at my jersey - and remembered that I'm truly "Pedaling for Payson." I know the kind of pain (physical and emotional) that cancer patients go through; I know what caregivers go through; I know that whatever amount of discomfort there is on the journey - whatever we raise will help so many people. Just keep pedaling on!
3/12/24 - Donna has made it to Arizona! As you can imagine, Donna has seen so much! She started at the Pacific Ocean, pedaled through mountains, up and down hills, along the border wall, through rocky areas, desert, and along beautiful agricultural areas. "There is nothing like seeing the absolute diverse beauty of this county from the seat of a bike." - Donna K.
Donna crossed into Arizona on Monday March 11th, 2024. By the end of this week, she will have made it to Mesa, AZ.
3/11/24 - THANK YOU!
Thank you to everyone who has donated up to this point. The generosity is so wonderful to see and Donna is SO CLOSE to reaching her goal because of you!
A very special shout-out to an anonymous donor who contributed $10,000 to the cause. This put Donna above her $10,000 goal and because of that, we have adjusted her goal to $20,000. All of these funds raised will be given right back to the Payson Center HOPE Resource Center to support patients and their families as they navigate the cancer journey.
Donations are still being accepted and can be made online or by mailing in a check. Please have checks made out to Concord Hospital Trust and mailed to 250 Pleasant Street, Concord NH 03301.
3/7/24 - GAME DAY! Donna arrived in San Diego on Monday, March 5th, and spent some time getting ready for her departure today at 8:00 am (it is currently 7:25 am in San Diego)! A note from Donna, dated 3/6/24
"This afternoon, we had an orientation, became familiar with how things will run, and what the expectations are, learned a bit about each other, and then learned how to fix a flat tire. It certainly seems like an outstanding group of women. Tonight we had our "send-off" banquet. Tomorrow we have breakfast at 6:30 am, load our bags in the van, pick up our snacks, and at 8:00 am, begin our pedal to "Dog Beach" where we will do the ceremonial dip of the rear wheels in the Pacific Ocean and then head east."
Donna front and center at "Dog Beach" ready to go this morning and proudly sporting her Payson jersey!
"Hard to believe it's here and how honored I am to ride for Payson." - Donna Kuethe
Photo Credit: WomanTours Facebook Page
Check out their facebook page for additional ride updates!
3/7/24 - Concord Hospital Facebook Post
3/6/2024 - Donna is in California preparing to take-off tomorrow! Send her some good energy! Over the next week, Donna will ride from San Diego all the way to Yuma, AZ. She will conquer thousands of feet in elevation and beautiful landscape.
2/27/2024 - Listen to Donna on 101.5 FM The Lakes
2/22/24 - Laconia Daily Sun Article
2/20/2024 - Concord Hospital Facebook Post
