Cinch is bringing healthy, easy, delicious prepared food to busy families who love food, but don’t always have time to cook.  It’s is in the Fairfield Sportsplex complex…. same area as our beloved Gymnastics & Cheerleading Academy & the Field House – not to mention lazer tag, fencing, ice skating and Carabiner’s Rock Climbing.  In other words, it’s right on your way home!

Cinch has named Brent’s favorite food after TeamBrent….. yes.. Cinch’s must-have cheese ravioli will have a portion of all its sales going to TeamBrent.   Wait until you taste it.  Unbelievably good.  Dinner made easy for sure!

We are so proud to be partnered with Cinch.  Quality food, outstanding people, passion and integrity.  Stop by, try the food, one taste and we promise you will add Cinch to your family’s meal rotation.  

 phone: 203-256-1164  |  address: 85 Mill Plain Rd. Suite D Fairfield, CT 06824 |  Exit 21 on I-95 across from the Sportsplex@Fairfield

Some of you already know and love B-Skinz. B-Skinz makes those colorful, awesome patterned shorts you’ve seen on girls at gymnastics or under their skirts (so they can run and play sports/ playground). They also make quality patterned tie dyes, bright colors and patterns on all sorts of compression wear for sports, from capris to headbands to pillowcases and more. They can cater to teams that need custom colors for uniforms or a specific inseam length, they can do custom printing with team names/logos, and they even sell the fashion must-have, seamless Sugarlips tanks!

B-Skinz has quality product with plenty of patterns. Isn’t that what every girl wants – to be active and yet express themselves fashionably?

BSkinz is generously donating 20% of sales to TeamBrent.  Just go to BSkinz.com & type the code TeamBrent in the comment box when ordering.  That money will go a long way towards helping kids fight cancer. 

Do some late back to school shopping, fill those gaps, get ready for fall sports, early holiday shopping, replace your worn out Sugarlips…..whatever!  Whenever….this offer does not expire…..  Please pass on!

 B-Active, B-You.  Together We Make a difference!

We are very sad and disappointed that we have to cancel our event this coming Sunday due to Hurricane Irene.  We are tough and we firmly believe that we get stronger by conquering challenges, but swimming in a hurricane is a bit much. 

Unfortunately it won’t be possible to reschedule this year as the calendar is full.  The good news is that this means that anyone who wanted to be a part of the Triathlon but couldn’t make it this Sunday will have a chance!  And for those of us who were toying with the idea of entering, at least in a relay (completing one leg of it – swim, bike OR run), now we have a whole year to train. 

Thank you to Trek Bicycle Store, TriFitness and all the registrants and volunteers.  We hope to see you next year for sure. 

Finally, as we watched the weather report last night, Mike & I couldn’t help but be brought back seven years, to the middle of Brent’s fight.  We wish a safe weekend for all of you – and we wish uninterrupted treatment to those in the midst of their battle.  For those kids who can’t let a hurricane stop them from getting their blood transfusion, or those racing to the hospital for an unexpected inpatient stay brought on by a random germ, immunosupression and finally – a fever ….. we wish you and your wonderful doctors and nurses safety.  Safe travels and uninterrupted care.

All the best.

We have 250 women signed up already, most of them are local, but some are coming from NY, Maine, New Hampshire…and even Claifornia!  There is a duathlon option (no swim) and about 20% are going that route.  We have fun prizes including Dooney & Bourke bags and watches, certificates from Magnolia, and an amazing prize by Pascal Fuchs, French Private Chef.  The Run Like A Mother creator will be announcing, she is also a Hawaii qualifier and mother of three.  We will have yoga on the beach, breakfast served after the race, massages…It’s pretty much going to be awesome.

 Yes – you can STILL sign up.  http://www.trifitness.net/events/womentri.html

You so CAN do this!  You can opt for the Triathlon, the Duathlon (run and bike, no swim), or you can find someone to relay with – pick the section (s) you like! What an accomplishment… a wonderful event just for women.  IT IS SPRINT TRI DISTANCES: 1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3.1 mile run

Oh, and about that Hurricane thing…well, we are watching it.  Looks like it may pass by then.  We are planning to have the race and will keep everybody informed until race day. 

One more thing..to be fair..Brent’s tri was a wee bit shorter than this one (100 m swim, 3 mi bike, 1/2 mi run). 

Tri something new – join us!

PMC is a model of fundraising efficiency; over the past few years they donated 100% of every rider-raised dollar directly to the cause. That means exactly what it sounds like – if someone donates $40 towards our ride, all $40 goes exactly where it should be going – to life saving research to keep people from dying of cancer.  Every single cent.

We have so much fun riding.  The entire route is lined by people ringing cowbells, waving pom-poms, holding babies, playing drums and holding signs saying “thank you. I am here today because of YOU.”  Our 61 riders are supported by about a dozen members of the TeamBrentWheels road crew and every one of us has a blast.  It is impossible to describe the enthusiasm of our teammates.   On the first day of the PMC, all 5,000+ riders wear the same jersey, supplied by the PMC, to show that everyone is riding as one cohesive group, with a singular mission, to beat cancer.  In order to differentiate teammates, many riders wear something on their helmets.  TeamBrentWheels is represented by the lobster.  This is based on a chance meeting that young Brent had at the PMC finish line one year with a man we call, simply, Lobsterman.  On the second day, riders wear their team jerseys.  We are proud to be sponsored by vineyard vines, and enjoy wearing their jerseys on Sunday.  This year’s jerseys (both days) had the added bonus of being blue and orange – Brent’s favorite colors.  It made everything seem a bit brighter for us, somehow.  Check out our pictures taken by team photographer Ashley Skatoff (linked from this site’s PMC page).  Have you ever seen such genuine smiles?

We heard a talk from a father whose son is currently undergoing treatment at Dana Farber reminding us to just “listen” as we ride.  When we hear people clapping, when we hear the cow bells, when we hear the wind blowing- to remember that those are all the sounds of people saying thank you for what we are doing.  This year we saw some unique sights on the ride – ranging from Lance Armstrong, who was riding in his first PMC…. to a father riding a tandem bike by himself.  The seat behind him was empty in honor of his son, lost to cancer.  We’re reminded of what’s important in life and how blessed we all are and reminded to embrace our family and loved ones today because you just never know what lays ahead. That the present is truly precious. It is our humble privilege to be able to participate in the PanMassChallenge. Cancer doesn’t stand a chance – with each pedal, we are closer by the mile….to a cure.

Donations are still coming in, so final numbers are uncertain, but we are thrilled to report that this year’s team has raised well over $500,000.  Incredible.  This means that TeamBrentWheels has contributed over $2.4 million dollars to the PMC (which, combined with another $3 million dollars raised for the St. Baldricks foundation, means that TeamBrent-ers have raised over $5 million dollars to help fight childhood cancer). The money raised this year by TeamBrent is specifically targeted towards fighting Neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects children exclusively, at Dana-Farber and Boston Children’s Hospital. In previous years, the team’s funds have gone towards a new treatment room at Boston Children’s Hospital, allowing for MIBG radiotherapy for children with relapsed Neuroblastoma, and for participation in future trials. Dr. Lisa Diller, CMO and Clinical Director of Pediatric Oncology at the Institute and Children’s Hospital says, “We will be able to participate in these trials because we have a room – thanks to TeamBrent!”

We couldn’t do it without our riders, roadies, friends who volunteered to drive drivers up to Sturbridge, Nauti Dolphin pizza (who sponsors our kickoff party – you have never seen 30 pizzas devoured so quickly), Klaff’s (graciously donated an enormous truck to transport our bikes), vineyard vines, and of course – our donors.  We heard and saw the thank yous but they are meant for the donors and their generosity.  It is an absolute privilege to be a part of the PMC. 

Billy Starr, the founder of the PMC, writes that though the PMC covers hundreds of miles, the event is not about distance.  And though the PMC includes tens of thousands of cyclists, volunteers and sponsors, the event is not about numbers.  The PMC is about how far ordinary people will go to help others.  It is about how people from all walks of life come together for one weekend with the single goal of raising money for cancer care and research for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

We had a lot of fun and are looking forward to another great event next year!!

We believe that Together We Can Make a Difference.

TeamBrent was created in 2005 to battle childhood cancer alongside 3yr old Brent. Friends, family and community members had so much energy and passion, and so much to give. We (Brent’s parents) were overwhelmed by the kind offerings of meals, babysitting, toys, rides and even blood. We realized that we were incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by so many incredible people and that all of that amazing energy could be harnessed. We were in the midst of treatment (chemo, surgeries, stem cell transplants) and were really looking at things from a day by day perspective. While I’d love to tell you that TeamBrent was well thought out, with a mission plan in place from day one, that isn’t exactly accurate…..We just wanted to channel all of the passion and energy that was being directed at us into a way to help other kids. As TeamBrent has grown, we refined TeamBrent’s mission to simply be “raising funds and awareness to fight childhood cancer.”

Today Brent is a survivor who has no recollection of his treatment, we have raised five million dollars to fight childhood cancer, but the fight goes on. Brent is living proof that your efforts make a difference. Thank you for all that you do.

Sincerely,

Dana and Mike McCreesh