About Us
MDA & IAFF Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire 34th Annual Trans New Hampshire Bike Ride Raises Over $80,000 for Research and Care for Neuromuscular Community
The event honored world ranked professional disabled golfer Keegan Kilroy and MDA advocate Sarah Smith.
BOSTON, MA – JULY 6, 2021 – The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) today announced that the 34th Annual Trans New Hampshire Bike Ride (TNHBR) held on June 27, starting and ending at the Cisco Brewery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, raised over $80,000 for the organization's mission, with funds still cycling in. The event featured over 100 in-person and virtual riders as well as support volunteers. The month-long virtual challenge had participants riding 250 miles during the month of June throughout the country and as far away as the state of Oregon. In attendance for the finish line celebration was world ranked disabled professional golfer Keegan Kilroy, MDA advocate Sarah Smith, and former MDA National Ambassador, Justin Moy. Direct donations may be made in support of the ride until July 27, 2021, here.
For 34 years, the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) have hosted the Trans New Hampshire Bike Ride with MDA. As part of the event, participants took the Fire Fighter Challenge on ride day by riding 25, 50, or 100, miles celebrating MDA's mission to fund research, care and advocacy for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. IAFF members from across New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Florida, Idaho, Wisconsin, and Oregon rode in support of MDA, undeterred from extreme heat. The 35th anniversary ride is expected to take place June 24-26, 2022, with registration to open in late 2021.
"I'm grateful to MDA for honoring me and my fiancée Sarah at this event for our work as advocates in the neuromuscular community," said world ranked disabled golfer, Keegan Kilroy. "Being at the finish line all day was incredibly inspiring, seeing so many riders and volunteers dedicating their time, and moving their muscles, albeit in the heat, for MDA families like mine, living with neuromuscular disease, is something we are personally passionate about. The fact the ride took place in my backyard of Portsmouth, New Hampshire means even more! Sarah and I are grateful to the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire and the Trans NH Bike Ride Committee for honoring us at the 2021 ride."
"On behalf of the Professional Fire Fighters New Hampshire and the Trans New Hampshire Bike Ride committee, I am honored to say that we have combined to raise over $80,000 thanks to the support of people joining the ride to help save lives and discover cures, and care for MDA families. In 2022, we are excited to once again ride across the state of New Hampshire over the course of three days while still offering this awesome one day format that brought in so many new participants," said Mike Roberts, Trans NH Bike Ride President and retired Londonderry, NH L3160 Fire Firefighter.
"We are honored to have had the Professional Fire Firefighters of New Hampshire and a dedicated committee who worked tirelessly to reimagine their traditional three-day ride magic into one epic day. Their work culminated with an amazing event day in Portsmouth celebrating MDA's mission and the $80,000 raised to fuel it forward and improve the quality of life for our community. We thank our sponsor CITGO and look forward to the 35th Annual Trans New Hampshire Bike ride, attracting riders not only from the Granite State but from around the country to experience three or one days of the event and beauty of summer in New Hampshire!" said Christopher Marshall, MDA National Director, Endurance.
About the Muscular Dystrophy Association
For 70 years, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has been committed to transforming the lives of people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. We do this through innovations in science and innovations in care. As the largest source of funding for neuromuscular disease research outside of the federal government, MDA has committed more than $1 billion since our inception to accelerate the discovery of therapies and cures. Research we have supported is directly linked to life-changing therapies across multiple neuromuscular diseases. MDA's MOVR is the first and only data hub that aggregates clinical, genetic, and patient-reported data for multiple neuromuscular diseases to improve health outcomes and accelerate drug development. MDA supports the largest network of multidisciplinary clinics providing best-in-class care at more than 150 of the nation's top medical institutions. Our Resource Center serves the community with one-on-one specialized support, and we offer educational conferences, events, and materials for families and healthcare providers. MDA Advocacy supports equal access for our community, and each year thousands of children and young adults learn vital life skills and gain independence at summer camp and through recreational programs, at no cost to families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MDA continues to produce virtual events and programming to support our community when in-person events and activities are not possible. MDA’s COVID-19 guidelines and virtual events are posted at mda.org/COVID19. For more information, visit mda.org.
