MentorCONNECT teams up with a remarkable young woman to raise awareness of eating disorders with a cross-country bike ride
MONTAUK, N.Y., Sept. 22, 2011 — Many eating disorders sufferers will exercise in their relentless pursuit of thinness. But this fall, a young woman named Emi Berger takes to the open road for a cross-country bike ride with a different purpose.
Emi is biking from the lighthouse in Montauk, NY, all the way to San Diego, CA, to raise awareness of eating disorders as a deadly but treatable disease. Her ride begins September 23, 2011.
Dubbed "Tour de MentorCONNECT," Emi's idea to bike cross-country was born after a late-night conversation with a friend. They shared their mutual love of endurance events and came up with the idea to bike cross-country to raise money for causes they championed. In Emi's own words, "Right away I knew I wanted to raise money for an eating disorder support and recovery program. I just had to find the right one."
After weeks of research, Emi finally settled on MentorCONNECT, an international non-profit organization that provides no-fee eating disorders mentoring and support services to recovering persons. Emi says, "I chose MentorCONNECT because this non-profit organization provides those struggling with a safe and easy way to ask for help and, with the help of a community of peers, find ways to recover and rebuild their lives."
Emi's passion for eating disorders awareness came through supporting a close friend who battled bulimia. It is estimated that between 1 and 4 percent of the U.S. population suffers from deadly eating disorders, and the numbers keep growing. Meanwhile, the battle to obtain adequate insurance coverage feels like a losing one for many families, meaning that the quest for alternate means of support is never-ending.
Donors and supporters can follow Emi's ride progress, make contributions, and share news about Emi's ride with others at http://www.mentorconnect-ed.org/tourdementorconnect/.
"We are very excited about partnering with Emi Berger for this historic cross-country ride. We think Emi's effort sends a clear message that there is always something more we each can do to help those who are struggling," says Shannon Cutts, Executive Director for MentorCONNECT and survivor of a 15-year battle with anorexia and bulimia.
Images:
http://www.ereleases.com/pic/2011-EmiBerger.jpg
http://www.ereleases.com/pic/2011-MentorCONNECT.jpg
For more information, please contact:
Shannon Cutts
Executive Director, MentorCONNECT
713-382-4272
Email
More About MentorCONNECT
MentorCONNECT, a non-profit organization, is the first global eating disorders mentoring community. Females and males aged 14 and up actively engaged in recovery from anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and eating disorders not otherwise specified are encouraged to join. Members can match with a mentor for individual support, participate in group mentoring activities, join in weekly support group meetings, receive daily supportive emails, enjoy monthly teleconferences, create a personal recovery blog, and more. MentorCONNECT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID: 32041949804). http://www.mentorconnect-ed.org
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