health & fitness b; THE PARK LIVING Saddle Up I DIDN'T WANT TO BE ALONE ANYMORE:' Paul Fried Special to the Jewish News L 04(aking new friends is one of life's greatest pleasures Residents of The Park at Trowbridge often become re- energized with a whole new zest for life as they make new friends with people their own age, people they can relate to. See for yourself why seniors living at The Park at Trowbridge experience an invigorating sense of independence, freedom and optimism. I Your story continues here... For more information or to visit, call today! at Trowbridge (248) 352-0208 Civic Center Drive Southfield, MI 48 0 33 24111 fi HORIZON BAY 1 RETIREMENT LIVING' I www.horizonbay.corn an in-hente care provider Specializing in services for daily living such as: • Bathing • Dressing • Meal prep • Assistance with transportation, paying bills, making appts • Companionship and emotional support Available 24 hrs. 7 days per week, For more information or to set up an appointment, please call: 586806-4822 Keep your company top of mind with our readers. ADVERTISE WITH US! CALL 248.351.5107 Visit theJEWISHNEWS.com 32 July 28 - 2011 new recumbent bike Cyclists to ride Kensington park to help fight Crohn's and colitis. "I JUST DECIDED THAT Aeh Paui Fried oh his iN ast August, the IN published an article about a bicycle riding event I started in 2008 to sup- port the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). That first year, 27 riders participated; last year 70 riders (and walkers) participated, and the half-day event raised $10,000 in dona- tions. Business sponsors generously covered all expenses, so 100 percent of the contributions went directly to CCFA to help fund camp programs, patient support and awareness groups, educational literature, etc. It is truly surprising how much time and effort goes into organizing even a small charity event such as this one, but helping to support an organization like CCFA is well worth the effort. The added benefit is bring- ing together people like me who have Crohn's disease or colitis as well as other individuals who ride on behalf of family members or friends suf- fering from one of these chronic and debilitating illnesses. Listening to many of these riders share their sto- ries is incredibly inspiring, especially considering the difficult health issues they have faced daily for most of their lives. Organizing this annual event has become an important part of my life, and it's easy to understand why. The funny thing about life, however, is that it can throw you a curve ball when you least expect it. My youngest daughter was diagnosed with ulcer- ative colitis just days before last year's event. How ironic it is that she has lived with the chronic health issues of a parent throughout her entire life and yet she must now look forward to a remaining lifetime of similar health issues herself. Her illness only strengthens my purpose for raising funds and awareness for CCFA. As if things couldn't get any worse, I was in a bike riding accident just two days after last year's event. The mishap occurred while I was riding with friends not far from my home. Although I had a long hospitaliza- tion and recovery period, I consider myself very fortunate. All of the inju- ries healed well, and I just recently resumed the sport again. Life is full of compromises; mine was to switch from the road bike I had used for many years to a totally differ- ent type of bicycle, one that would be safer and reduce the chance of addi- tional injuries in the future. I did a lot of research, and even traveled out of state to test ride some unusual bikes. I finally settled on a "Catrike 700," which is a low-profile, three-wheeled recumbent bike specifically designed for speed. I cannot describe how won- derful it feels to be back on the road after a nine-month hiatus. Now that things are pretty much back to normal, my focus is on orga- nizing the fourth annual "Paul Fried Charity Ride to Support the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Of America" on Saturday, Aug. 20, starting at 8:30 a.m. The event will once again be located at Kensington Metropark in Milford. My goal is to increase this year's partici- pation and contributions in excess of the previous year totals. To donate, participate or obtain additional information, visit the event website: online.ccfa.org/ paulfriedcharityride2011. You can also email paf123@aol. corn to have forms and informa- tion sent by email or postal mail. Business sponsors ($300 mini- mum) can help cover the costs of the event. Sponsors will have their company name and/or logo printed on the back of the event T-shirts.