A California man is riding his bicycle from Chicago to Battle Creek this week to raise awareness for diabetes, and is making several stops in southwest Michigan.
After departing New Buffalo Wednesday morning, cyclist Edwin Velarde stopped in Benton Harbor Wednesday afternoon as part of his “Windy City to Cereal City” diabetes action ride in partnership with Rotary International.
Diagnosed with diabetes about 30 years ago at the at the age of 29, Velarde was able to control his condition after taking up cycling, and now goes on long-distance bike rides across the world to raise awareness about the disease.
Velarde established the EPiC Journey Against Diabetes, a long-distance cycling event which has taken him on awareness rides in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia, where he is also Rotary’s top spokesman on the the diabetes epidemic. He became engaged with Rotary Action Group for Diabetes, eventually joining the International Board becoming president of the group.
“Michigan is a beautiful state and a very enjoyable ride as we meet Rotarians and spread the word about the Global Diabetes Epidemic,” Velarde said. “Southern Michigan also has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the region, many are unaware they have the condition, and we hope to help raise awareness.”
According to the International Diabetes Federation, more than 537 million people (20-79) suffer from diabetes globally. More than 6 million deaths were caused by diabetes and high blood glucose in 2021. According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 1 million people in Michigan have diabetes.
The “Windy City to Cereal City” ride began Tuesday at Rotary International Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois and ends in Battle Creek on Saturday for the Rotary District 6360 annual conference.
Wednesday, Velarde rode to Benton Harbor to meet with members of the St. Joseph – Benton Harbor Rotary Club at the Inn at Harbor Shores before heading up to South Haven to complete the day’s ride and meet with more Rotarians. The ride continues Thursday on the Kal-Haven Trail. Velarde will meet with Rotarians in Kalamazoo before completing the ride in at Firekeeper’s Casino in Battle Creek ahead of the conference.
Riders of any experience level are encouraged to participate in Thursday’s portion of the ride on the Kal-Haven Trail. The journey begins at the trailhead at 9 a.m. The public is also invited to the pavilion for an opportunity to learn more about the Rotary Action Group’s initiatives and actions for diabetes awareness, prevention, treatment, management and complications.
The Rotary District 6360 Conference will take place May 5-6 at FireKeepers Casino and Resort in Battle Creek and will be attended by more than 200 Rotarians from Southwest and Mid-Michigan. District 6360 consists of 56 Rotary Clubs and 2,020 members in 16 Counties including the cities of St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Lansing and Jackson. For more information on Rotary visit district6360.com or rotary.org.
For more information on the EPiC Journey Against Diabetes, visit epic-journey.org.
